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Quantification of glucose cycling and the extent of equilibration of glucose 6-phosphate with fructose 6-phosphate in islets from ob/ob mice. Pancreatic islets from fed and fasted obese hyperglycaemic (ob/ob) mice were incubated with [1-14C]glucose at 5.5 mM and 16.7 mM, [1-14C]mannose at 16.7 mM, and 3H2O. Yields of 14CO2 and 14C-labelled lactate, and amounts of 14C from [1-14C]mannose incorporated into glucose and of 3H bound to C-2 of glucose, were measured. Glucose utilization was determined from yields of 3H2O from [5-3H]glucose. From the results using 14C, 32-43% of the hexoses phosphorylated to hexose 6-phosphate were estimated to have been dephosphorylated, i.e. cycled. Estimates of hexose cycling from 3H incorporation into glucose were similar. Differences in the ratios of 14C yields in CO2 and lactate indicated incomplete isotopic equilibration between glucose 6-phosphate and fructose 6-phosphate, making the estimates of cycling semi-quantitative. In the fasted state, a larger percentage of the hexose utilized went to lactate than in the fed state. Thus conversion of mannose into glucose in islets indicates the occurrence of glucose cycling in islets. Yields of 14C from [1-14C]mannose, compared with from [1-14C]glucose, provide an approach for quantifying the extent of this cycling. These data provide further evidence for extensive glucose cycling occurring in ob/ob islets in both the fed and the fasted state. | 12 |
Immunohistochemical characterization of the cellular infiltration in asthmatic bronchi. Bronchial biopsies obtained from 16 asthmatic patients and six normal subjects were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. In the asthmatic patients, the total numbers of macrophages infiltrating the airway mucosa were increased. Many of the macrophages had the phenotypic characteristics of blood monocytes. HLA Class II antigen was expressed on infiltrating cells and airway epithelial cells. In biopsies from the asthmatics there was a significant increase in activated eosinophils, but not in neutrophils. There was also a significant increase in the numbers of T-lymphocytes in the asthmatics, but very few B-lymphocytes were detected. These results suggest that lung macrophages may have a central role to play in the mechanisms of the chronic immune-mediated inflammatory response seen in the airway mucosa of asthmatic patients. | 14 |
Pharmacological characterization of alpha adrenergic receptors in the young and old female rabbit urethra. The pharmacological characteristics of alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenergic receptors in young (6 month) and old (4.5-5 year) female rabbit urethra were studied using isolated muscle bath techniques. Norepinephrine, phenylephrine, clonidine, oxymetazoline and UK 14,304 produced concentration-dependent contractions in both age groups. The maximum contractile responses (Emax) to norepinephrine, phenylephrine, oxymetazoline and UK 14,304 were of similar magnitude and were significantly greater than the contractile responses to clonidine. The rank order of the ED50 values for these drugs was: oxymetazoline less than UK 14,304 much less than clonidine = norepinephrine = phenylephrine. Prazosin (10(-8) M) shifted the concentration-response curves to phenylephrine and UK 14,304 to the right, but did not shift the concentration-response curves to clonidine and oxymetazoline. Yohimbine (10(-7) M) shifted the concentration-response curves to clonidine, oxymetazoline and UK 14,304 to the right, but did not shift the concentration-response curve to phenylephrine. The ED50 values for phenylephrine and clonidine were smaller in the older than in the younger age group. There were no other age-dependent differences in the response to agonists. Pretreatment with chlorethylclonidine, which selectively alkylates the alpha-1B subtype, did not affect the Emax value of phenylephrine-induced contractions, but significantly shifted the curve to the right. The ratios of the Emax values in Ca++ free buffer to that in normal Ca++ buffer for phenylephrine, UK 14,304, clonidine, oxymetazoline and KCl were 0.30, 0.38, 0.08, 0.07 and 0, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) | 15 |
Blood volume distribution during head-up tilt induced central hypovolaemia in man. We evaluated regional electrical impedance (Z degree) at 2.5 and 100 kHz to separate intra- and extracellular fluid changes and correlated Z degree over the thorax (TI) to relative changes in the central blood volume (CBV) induced by head-up tilt. In nine experiments head-up tilt resulted in normotensive central hypovolaemia associated with a 3.7 +/- 0.4 Ohm (mean +/- SE) increase in TI100 kHz after 60 min. In 24 experiments pre-syncopal symptoms were induced after 43 +/- 2 min, when TI100 kHz had increased 4.2 +/- 0.2 Ohm. Head-up tilt instantly decreased the activity of technetium labelled erythrocytes (99Tcm) over the thorax by 24 +/- 2%, and increased 99Tcm over the thigh by 68 +/- 10% (P less than 0.01, n = 8) with no further changes during the sustained tilt. Haematocrite increased during head-up tilt from 43.1 +/- 0.3 to 47.9 +/- 0.6% (P less than 0.01, n = 8). Accordingly, the increase in TI (6.3 +/- 0.6 vs. 4.5 +/- 0.4 Ohm, n = 6) and the decrease in Z degree through one leg (7.2 +/- 1.2 vs. 2.8 +/- 0.5 Ohm, n = 6) at 2.5 kHz was more pronounced than at 100 kHz. Also the changes in TI were correlated to CBV as calculated from 99Tcm and haematocrite (r = 0.90, P less than 0.01). The results suggest that: (1) Hypovolaemic shock is associated with a faster increase of TI than normotensive head-up tilt. (2) Head-up tilt is characterized by an initial decrease in CBV followed by a further decrease in plasma volume, which eventually leads to hypovolaemic shock. (3) Blood volume changes during head-up tilt are reflected in regional Z degree. | 15 |
The pathology of human Lassa fever. Pathological findings have been described in only a small number of cases of Lassa fever since the virus was first isolated in 1969. Morphologically, eosinophilic necrosis of hepatocytes was the most frequent finding and focal necroses, often extensive, were present in most cases. These findings are similar to the lesions previously described in Argentinian and Bolivian haemorrhagic fever. Focal interstitial pneumonitis, focal tubular necrosis in the kidney, lymphocytic infiltration of the splenic veins, and partial replacement of the splenic follicles by amorphous eosinophilic material have been described, but the significance of these findings is unclear. More detailed and sophisticated investigations are required in the future if pathogenetic mechanisms are to be unravelled. | 16 |
Influence of aminopenicillins on bacterial growth kinetics in vitro in comparison with the antibacterial effect in vivo. To quantify the relative antibacterial efficacy of beta-lactam antibiotics in vitro, a mathematical description of bacterial growth was developed. Curves of growth in the presence of the antibiotic are expressed as quadratic functions of time, with initial growth rate (ko) and rate of change of growth (a) as concentration dependant variables. For these variables the concentration-effect slopes were not parallel; therefore the potency ratio varied between 1 (at about 2 mg/l) and 2 (at higher concentrations). The relative efficacy in vivo was expressed as a potency ratio with regard to the number of bacteria in an infected thigh muscle in mice. The potency ratio was 1.5, which is between the limits of the in vitro results. | 16 |
Regulation of enzyme synthesis in the tryptophan pathway of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. In Acinetobacter calcoaceticus the seven genes coding for the enzymes responsible for tryptophan synthesis map at three chromosomal locations. Two three-gene clusters, one (trpGDC) specifying the small subunit of anthranilate synthase, phosphoribosyl transferase, and indoleglycerol phosphate synthase and the other (trpFBA) specifying phosphoribosyl anthranilate isomerase and both tryptophan synthase subunits, are not linked to each other or to the trpE gene specifying the large anthranilate synthase subunit. When regulation of trp gene expression is studied in the wild type, only the level of the trpF gene product decreases upon addition of tryptophan to the medium. Tryptophan starvation of tryptophan auxotrophs, however, results in increased levels of all the tryptophan enzymes; this and additional evidence suggests that the expression of all the trp genes is subject to repression. The trpGDC genes are coordinately controlled, and the trpE gene is regulated in parallel with them. The trpFBA genes are controlled neither coordinately nor in parallel with the other trp genes, but respond proportionally when compared with each other. So far, two types of constitutive mutants have been found. The first class of mutants apparently occurs in the structural gene for a repressor protein; this repressor locus is unlinked to any of the biosynthetic trp genes and affects only the expression of trpE and the trpGDC cluster. The second class contains mutants closely linked to the trpGDC region; they overproduce only the gene products of this cluster. | 17 |
Pulmonary function tests in healthy male Punjabi children [10-19 years of age]. We performed spirometry on 177 male healthy children from Patiala, North India between 10 to 19 years age. The best fit regression equations for different functions were determined for each parameter. A linear relationship of lung function was observed with age, height, weight and BSA. Our results have been higher than the South Indian studies but closer to other North Indian studies. Similar comparison with western studies reveals that their subjects have higher lung function values than our subjects. It is clear that grossly erroneous conclusions may be reached unless prediction equations for lung function tests for a given ethnic group are derived from studies upon the same ethnic group. | 10 |
Cytotoxicity, radiosensitization, antitumor activity, and interaction with hyperthermia of a Co(III) mustard complex. A complex of Co(III) with a nitro group and a bis(2-chloroethyl)amine moiety was prepared in an effort to develop a new anticancer agent with radiosensitizing capabilities, direct antitumor activity, and the ability to interact positively with clinically relevant hyperthermia temperatures. The activity of this drug was compared to a similar Co(III) complex, nitro-bis(2,4-pentanedionato)(pyridine)cobalt(III) [Co(Py)], which bears a pyridine moiety mustard of bis(2-chloroethyl)amine and should have no alkylating abilities. In EMT6 cells nitro-bis(2,4- pentanedionato)(bis(2-chloroethyl)amine)cobalt(III) [Co(BCA)] was significantly more cytotoxic than Co(Py) and both drugs were more toxic toward normally oxygenated than hypoxic cells. Hyperthermia (42 degrees C, 1 h) increased the slope of the concentration-dependent survival curve for Co(BCA) but not for Co(Py) in normally oxygenated EMT6 cells. Co(BCA) was an effective radiosensitizer of hypoxic EMT6 cells in vitro, producing a dose-modifying factor of 2.40. In the human squamous cell line SCC-25 and the nitrogen mustard-resistant subline SCC-25/HN2 Co(BCA) was more cytotoxic than Co(Py), and the lethality of Co(BCA) was only minimally diminished in the SCC-25/HN2 line. In mice bearing the L1210 leukemia i.p., Co(BCA) had a broad range of therapeutically effective dosage and produced a greater than 60-day increase in life span at a dose 20-fold less than was lethally toxic. In addition, in the FSaIIC murine fibrosarcoma, Co(BCA) produced a tumor growth delay of 9.4 days at 75 mg/kg i.p. daily x 5, but Co(Py) produced a delay of only 2.9 days at 50 mg/kg daily x 5 and was lethally toxic above this dose. These results indicate that Co(BCA) has significant antineoplastic effects in vitro and in vivo and interacts positively with both radiation and mild hyperthermia. Its broad therapeutic dose range further suggests potential clinical utility. | 18 |
Specificity studies of leukocytic catecholamine receptors. Using tritium-labeled dl(+/-)epinephrine, we have extended previous studies demonstrating binding of epinephrine to human leukocytes. We have now further assessed the biological significance of this catecholamine binding by comparing the specificity of binding by human leukocytes with the ability of these compounds to inhibit epinephrine-stimulated adenyl cyclase. Binding is specific for catechols, but does not distinguish between physiologically active and inactive stereo isomers, nor between alpha- and beta-adrenergic agonists. Although 2.5 X 10(-4) M 1(-)DOPA, dopamine, d(+)epinephrine and serotonin failed to stimulate leukocytic adenyl cyclase and prevented adenyl cyclase stimulation by 2.5 X 10(-4) M 1(-)epinephrine, the inhibition of adenyl cyclase by d(+)epinephrine is noncompetitive. This catechol-binding site is clearly not the beta-adrenergic receptor. Its physiological significance, if any, remains to be elucidated. | 18 |
Intracellular distribution and effect of the antimalarial drug mefloquine on lysosomes of rat liver. Mefloquine was administered in a single dose (1-30 mg/100 g) to rats in order to study its subcellular distribution and effects on rat liver lysosomal structure and function. Subcellular fractionation showed a significant enrichment of mefloquine in lysosomes. Even repeated administration of mefloquine did not affect the levels of cytochrome-P-450 or its reductase, indicating, although not proving, that it is not metabolized by this mono-oxygenase system. Mefloquine caused an expansion of the lysosomal apparatus, earliest seen by 24 h and lasting for some 7 days. Initially, cytoplasmic constituents were seen inside the lysosomes. Later, the lysosomes harboured myelin-like figures (multilamellar bodies) disappearing after 7-10 days. The proteolytic and lipolytic capacity was assessed in isolated lysosomes. Mefloquine caused increased protein degradation but decreased breakdown of lipids. Concomitantly, all five major phospholipids (phosphatidyl-choline, -ethanolamine, -inositol, -serine and sphingomyelin) increased in the lysosomes. It is concluded that: (1) mefloquine is a lysosomotropic drug that accumulates in lysosomes; (2) mefloquine impairs lipid degradation with ensuing accumulation of lipids in lysosomes; and (3) lysosomal trapping explains the high volume distribution of mefloquine. | 16 |
Cartilage of the patella. Topographical variation of glycosaminoglycan content in normal and fibrillated tissue. The variation in the glycosaminoglycan content was studied at different sites of the patella, both where the cartilage was intact and where it showed varying degrees of fibrillation. It was found that when the cartilage surface was intact the glycosaminoglycan content was the same at the different sites of the patella. Local fibrillation always gave rise to a local lowering of fixed charge density, the magnitude of the latter correlating well with the visual assessment of the severity of the lesion. Even in the presence of severe lesions, if there was a site left on the patella where the cartilage was visually normal, its fixed charge density was also at a normal level. Thus, the depletion of glycosaminoglycans is a local phenomenon, limited to the area of fibrillation. The glycosaminoglycan content of normal cartilage is lower in the knee joint than in the hip. This fact, together with the existence of high pressure during load bearing, may be responsible for the greater frequency of destructive lesions affecting the cartilage of the patella compared with that of the hip. | 15 |
[Acute intermittent porphyria: report on 17 patients with 49 attacks (author's transl)]. In 17 patients (15 women, 2 men) with acute intermittent porphyria in the incidence of 23 clinical symptoms during 49 attacks was calculated. The most frequent symptoms in percentage of attacks were: Red colour of the urine 100%, abdominal pain 92%, tachycardia 88%, hypertension 75%, vomiting 54%, peripheral neuropathy 50%. In 35% of acute attacks a transient normochromic, normocytic anemia developed which is probably due to a disturbance of heme synthesis. Oliguria was found in 25%, azotemia in 12.5% of attacks. 4 patients with an average of 5 preceding acute attacks showed a persistent reduction of renal function during the symptom-free interval, in contrast to 12 patients with an average of 1.7 previous attacks and normal renal function. During the observation period from 1960-1974 3 (= 18%) of the 17 patients died. | 14 |
A theoretical interpretation of the variations of some physical parameters within the [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin group. A model is proposed to explain the variation of some physical parameters within the reduced [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin group. According to this model, the main effects result from a variable mixing of some d orbitals of the Fe2+ ion owing to rhombic distortion of the active site having the same geometrical character, but different in intensity, for each protein. Some peculiar experimental results such as the axial electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of adrenal ferredoxin and Pseudomonas putida ferredoxin and the electric field gradient tensor of P. putida ferredoxin are explained without assuming properties drastically different from those of the other ferredoxins, as had been suggested in the literature. | 23 |
Changes in insulin-receptor structure associated with trypsin-induced activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase. The tyrosine kinase of the insulin receptor can be activated by trypsin treatment. The concomitant abolition of insulin binding has been postulated to result from proteolytic destruction of the receptor. A discrepancy between the decrease in insulin binding and receptor immunoreactivity after trypsin treatment led us to investigate more closely the structure of the trypsin-treated receptor. After trypsin treatment of the CHOT cell line, which over-expresses transfected human insulin receptors, insulin binding was significantly decreased, but reactivity with five alpha-subunit monoclonal antibodies was either unaffected or only moderately decreased, indicating that the alpha-subunit was substantially intact. Examination of receptor structure after trypsin treatment, receptor autophosphorylation and gel electrophoresis revealed a single band at 110 kDa in non-reduced gels, comprising a small fragment (21 kDa) of the alpha-subunit linked to the beta-subunit by class II disulphides. When the receptor was radio-labelled with 125I, two additional alpha-subunit bands of 142 kDa and 81 kDa (composed of identical reduced bands) were observed on non-reduced gels, which contained disulphide-linked (class I) fragments. All fragments could be precipitated by antibodies to both alpha- and beta-subunits. However, only antibodies directed towards the N-terminus of the receptor could immunoblot trypsin-treated fragments. Thus activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase by trypsin occurs after cleavage, but not loss of the alpha-subunit. This finding has implications for the mechanism of transmembrane activation of the receptor kinase by insulin. | 18 |
[Maternal mortality in the gynaecological and obstetrical clinic of the University Hospital in Rennes. A retrospective study over 10 years, from 1969 to 1979 (author's transl)]. Maternal mortality in the C.H.U. of Rennes from the 1st January 1969 to the 1st January 1979 consisted of 8 deaths in 24.911 deliveries and 1.381 Caesarean sections, which gives a mortality of 32 per 100.000 deliveries. There was 1 death due to hyperemesis gravidarum, 1 due to toxaemia of pregnancy, 3 due to haemorrhage, 1 due to puerperal sepsis, 1 due to cerebral haemorrhage and lastly 1 due to cancer of the pancreas. 2 women died during Caesarean section, which works out at 1 death per 690 Caesareans. Of these 8 deaths, 4 were possibly avoidable, and 3 of their children survived. In spite of continual progress since the end of the second world war, maternal mortality should decrease still further and tend down to the figures for Scandinavia or England (10 deaths for 100.000 deliveries). | 13 |
Quantitative crystallinity determinations for beta-lactam antibiotics by solution calorimetry: correlations with stability. The solution calorimetry method is based on the observation that amorphous forms are normally significantly higher in energy than are crystalline forms. The utility and validity of the calorimetric method were investigated for cephalothin sodium, cefazolin sodium, cefamandole nafate, and cefamandole sodium. Amorphous, partially crystalline, and crystalline forms were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction (powder), by solution calorimetry, and, for cephalothin sodium, by the thermal decomposition rate at 50 degrees. Qualitatively, there was a good correlation between calorimetric crystallinity and the (less precise) crystallinity derived from X-ray data. The energy and structure of the amorphous state depend on the history of the sample; even samples of the same crystalline polymorph, containing no amorphous phase, may differ in energy. Thus, the absolute value of the crystallinity (X-ray or calorimetric) depends on the choice of amorphous and crystalline standards. The heat of solution is a precise (+/- 1%) and unambiguous measure of the relative crystallinity; and provided amorphous and crystalline standards are appropriately chosen, the calorimetric crystallinity correlates well with chemical stability. | 20 |
Importance of basal glucagon in maintaining hepatic glucose production during a prolonged fast in conscious dogs. We undertook studies in conscious dogs to assess the role of basal glucagon in stimulating glucose production after a 7-day fast. Two protocols consisting of a 40-min basal period (-40 to 0 min), and a 180-min test period (0-180 min) were used. During the test period of the first protocol (hormone replacement; n = 4), somatostatin was infused (0.8 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) along with basal intraportal replacement amounts of insulin and glucagon, whereas in the second protocol (glucagon deficiency; n = 5), somatostatin plus insulin alone were infused. Glucose production and gluconeogenesis were measured using tracer and arteriovenous difference techniques. Plasma insulin levels were similar during the test period in both protocols (6 +/- 1 microU/ml). The plasma immunoreactive glucagon level in the control protocol averaged 50 +/- 8 pg/ml, whereas in the glucagon-deficiency protocol the level fell from 50 +/- 8 to 29 +/- 8 pg/ml (P less than 0.05). The plasma glucose level and the rate of glucose production were unchanged during bihormonal replacement. During glucagon deficiency the plasma glucose level was held constant at 100 +/- 4 mg/dl by glucose infusion. Tracer-determined endogenous glucose production fell from 1.8 +/- 0.1 to 1.0 +/- 0.1 mg.kg-1.min-1 by 30 min (P less than 0.05). After 3 h of glucagon deficiency, gluconeogenic conversion of alanine to glucagon was reduced 40% and the hepatic fractional extraction of alanine was reduced by 45%. The efficiency of the gluconeogenic process within the liver was not altered by glucagon deficiency.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) | 16 |
Peripheral neuropathy in oxalosis. A case report with electron microscopic observations. A 61 year old man had chronic renal failure because of oxaluria and renal calculi. Two years before death, while on hemodialysis, he developed severe progressive peripheral neuropathy. At autopsy calcium oxalate crystals were found in the peripheral nerves and other tissues. Nerve lesions included segmental demyelination, axonal degeneration and crystalline deposits within the myelin sheath. Ultrastructurally there were foci of osmiophilic granular material within myelin lamellae and endoneurium, and pleomorphic lamellar bodies in the perinuclear Schwann cell cytoplasm. It is probable that chronic hemodialysis favors the deposition of oxalate in the Schwann cells and the development of neuropathy in patients with primary hyperoxaluria and renal failure. | 15 |
Allele-specific methylation in the 5'-regulatory region of class II DQ beta genes in the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC): relationship to autoimmune disease susceptibility. The DNA methylation state of the 5'-regulatory region of human HLA-DQ beta genes was examined. Two restriction enzymes were utilized to detect methylated (meCG) dinucleotides in the 5'-regulatory region of the DQ-beta genes: the restriction enzyme Msp I, which recognizes CCGG and CmeCGG, and Hpa II recognizes only the unmethylated CG sequence. DNA samples were prepared from 95 HLA-typed individuals including 40 B-lymphoblastoid cell lines and peripheral blood leukocytes of 55 individuals. Of these samples, 20 were from parents of individuals with insulin-dependent diabetes. Allele specific methylation was observed in particular DR-associated DQ-beta gene alleles. The DQw8 (DQw3.2) allele, most DQw7 (DQw3.1) alleles, and the DR3-associated DQw2 allele were all unmethylated. The parental methylation state was stably transmitted to offspring. Because these DQ alleles are highly associated with several autoimmune diseases, our results raise the possibility that the regulation of expression of these particular DQ-beta alleles might be different from that of other alleles, and that the 5'-regulatory DNA sequences of these particular DQ beta alleles may be responsible for, or contribute to, susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. | 17 |
Necrotizing enterocolitis following operation in the neonatal period. Over a 16-year period, 33 newborn infants developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) following some form of operation (accounting for 19 per cent of all neonates with NEC), including repair of myelomeningocele, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis and congenital diaphragmatic hernia. The neonates with postoperative NEC had a median birth-weight of 3.05 (range 1.0-4.4) kg, and median gestational age of 40 (range 27-41) weeks. Twenty patients were treated non-operatively. The remaining 13 required operation for complications of NEC. Twenty-three patients are alive and have been followed for a median of 66 (range 3-168) months. If a neonate deteriorates following any operation NEC must be included in the differential diagnosis. | 14 |
Computer-assisted identification of mycobacteria using code lists--results of a multi-centric study. German Working Group on Mycobacteria. The frequency of isolation of environmental mycobacteria from clinical specimens has increased significantly in the course of the last years. Assessment of the medical importance of such isolates always depends on a correct identification of any of these strains. In a multicentric study, the efficacy of a standardized, computer-aided system for identification has been evaluated. 13 Laboratories received 24 strains of mycobacteria each and were asked to test all these strains for 16 different features. The results were coded in a standardized way. For the evaluation of these tests, the laboratories were supplied with a list containing all possible codes, which might be indicative of one or another identification. The results proved the logic of the approach. However, the application of the system lead to a correct identification in only 74% of all attempts. It is concluded that such a standardized approach is not useful for mycobacteria, because it requires too much working time and material. It will be more practical to concentrate on a smaller number of tests in the peripheral laboratories, which might allow the identification of M. tuberculosis and a few other species and to leave the definitive identification to reference laboratories. The development of faster, simpler and more reliable methods remains highly desirable. | 14 |
[Elementary diet as an alternative to parenteral feeding in severe gastrointestinal diseases]. 21 patients with gastroenterological disease and indication for the use of intravenous nutrition received an elemental diet (ED) for 5-44 days. In 6 out of 8 patients with exacerbation of Crohn's disease remissions were achieved, apart from 3 persistent fistulas. In 5 out of 9 cases with various primary diseases and postoperative intestinal fistulas, spontaneous healing was observed. Furthermore, 2 patients with ulcerative colitis, 1 with radiation enteritis and 1 with pancreatitis were treated with ED. On ED, hemoglobin increased from 11.3 +/- 0.4 (m +/- SEM) to 12.0 +/- 0.5 g% (p less than 0.01) and serum albumin from 2.7 +/- 0.1 to 3.4 +/- 0.1 g% (p less than 0.001). Nitrogen requirements were studied in 11 patients receiving various quantities of ED. Nitrogen balance was found to be in equilibrium or positive in 7 patients, and negative in 4. In one patient with severe ulcerative colitis, fecal nitrogen losses were higher than urinary nitrogen losses. The unpleasant taste of ED resulting from free amino acids limited the ED supply in 3 patients and led to premature ending of ED administration in 3 other patients. In such cases ED may be given by nasogastric tube feeding. From the results presented it appears that ED is indicated in Crohn's disease and intestinal fistulas. However, the results obtained require confirmation by further observations and comparison with an intravenously fed control group. | 14 |
Serum procalcitonin as an index of inhalation injury in burns. The molecular heterogeneity of serum immunoreactive calcitonin (iCT) was analyzed from a prospective study of 41 burn patients. Using different region-specific anticalcitonin antisera, the ratio of mid-region-recognizing to carboxyl terminal-region-recognizing iCT was found to increase acutely in those who subsequently died. The highest ratios occurred in those who died early of respiratory complications. Sephadex chromatography and reversed-phase HPLC demonstrated that the serum iCT circulated predominantly in the large molecular mass prohormone form (16 kDa). In comparison, iCT of normal human lung and of normal thyroid was shown to consist primarily of smaller monomeric mass forms. Furthermore, in 12 normal volunteers who were evaluated with a calcium-pentagastrin infusion, the ratio of iCT levels did not differ from the baseline ratio despite a 50% increase in serum iCT. These results suggest that in burns, the inhalational injury-associated hypercalcitonemia is characterized by a preferential release of procalcitonin; a form of constitutive secretion. The measurement of serum procalcitonin levels would appear to be a useful prognostic indicator of the severity of inhalational injury occurring in burn patients. | 17 |
Alteration in calcium metabolism in cardiac hypertrophy and failure caused by bacterial infection. Left ventricular hypertrophy was seen in catheterized, uninfected rabbits, whereas contractile failure superimposed upon hypertrophy was observed in catheterized animals after injection with Streptococcus viridans within six days. The infected animals showed marked changes in the ultrastructure of the left heart in comparison to the uninfected rabbits. The levels of calcium and potassium were decreased, whereas sodium was increased in both infected and uninfected hearts; however, magnesium levels did not change in uninfected hearts but were decreased at three days and increased at six days of infection. The microsomal calcium uptake was decreased in six-day uninfected as well as three-and six-day infected hearts. On the other hand, the mitochondrial calcium uptake was increased in six-day uninfected and three-day infected hearts but decreased in six-day infected hearts. The sarcolemmal calcium binding and (Na+,K+)ATPase activities were decreased in six-day uninfected as well as three- and six-day infected hearts. These results dramatic changes in intracellular calcium metabolism in myocardial hypertrophy and failure caused by bacterial infection. | 18 |
Myelofibrosis and rapid thrombocytolysis. A case report. A 69-year-old woman was referred to our department because of moderate anemia and thrombocytopenia. On admission the spleen was slightly enlarged. On the basis of histological examination of biopsy specimens from spinal processes the diagnosis of myelofibrosis was made. The subsequent clinical course was progressively downhill. Although splenomegaly was of only moderate degree, severe anemia and thrombocytopenia supervened. Platelet mean life span was dramatically shortened (1.8 hours) and platelet production rate considerably increased (about 18xnormal). Neither corticosteroid therapy nor splenectomy alleviated the thrombocytopenia. Extremely large platelets, with diameters of up to 10 mum, were seen in the peripheral blood. The mean platelet diameter and percentage of megathrombocytes reached peak values about 2 weeks after splenectomy. It is suggested that the immunologic background of the rapid thrombocytolysis is similar to that which governs platelet destruction in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. | 14 |
Hormonal effects on glycogen metabolism in isolated hepatocytes of a freeze-tolerant frog. To determine whether specific hormonal responses were involved in the production of cryoprotectant (glucose) by liver of the freeze tolerant wood frog, Rana sylvatica, metabolically active hepatocytes were isolated in reasonable yields (mean 20.1 +/- 1.30% SEM, n = 29) by in situ liver perfusion with collagenase. Freshly isolated cells from autumn-collected frogs contained large amounts of glycogen (650 mumol glucosyl units/g packed cells) and produced glucose from this endogenous reserve at a rate of 10 mumol g-1 hr-1 at 0 degrees. Glucose output from cells was highly responsive to the addition of hormones; rates of glucose release increased 2.1-, 1.7-, and 1.7-fold with the addition of 10(-7) M bovine glucagon, 10(-7) M epinephrine, and 5 x 10(-6) M dibutyryl-cyclic AMP, respectively. Norepinephrine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and bovine insulin were without effect at 0.1 microM/l. Hormone stimulation of glucose release was correlated with an increase in both the total activity and the percentage a of glycogen phosphorylase in hepatocytes. However, none of the hormones tested affected the kinetic properties of hepatocyte pyruvate kinase, suggesting the absence of covalent modification control of the enzyme. The data indicate that the freezing-stimulated production of large quantities of glucose as a cryoprotectant by R. sylvatica liver does not involve qualitative differences in the hormonal control of liver glycogenolysis, compared with other lower vertebrates. However, quantitative differences were seen, such as the much greater phosphorylase activity, 4.38 +/- 0.33 mumol min-1 g-1 packed cells, in freshly isolated R. sylvatica hepatocytes compared with 0.36 +/- 0.06 mumol min-1 g-1 in Rana pipiens hepatocytes. | 21 |
[The roles of primary and secondary health services in the production and utilization of clinical chemical blood analyses. A 5-year survey in the county of Frederiksborg]. The number of clinical chemical analyses performed on blood in the County of Frederiksborg in 1990 was 3.7 per inhabitant. The number of analyses requested increased by only 2.5% since 1986. Approximately 1/3 of the analyses were requested from primary care and about 1/5 of these analyses were performed in the doctors' offices. Approximately 100 different kinds of analyses were requested, but the 10 (20) most frequent analyses requested in 1990 account for 62 (80%) of the analyses requested from the hospitals and 73 (89%) of the analyses requested from primary care. Approximately 50% of the analyses requested for B-hemoglobin and B-sedimentation rate and about 70% of the analyses requested for B-glucose was performed in the doctors' office in 1990. Only the number of analyses requested for B-glucose has increased (50%) since 1986. The three analyses account for more than 90% of the clinical chemical analyses performed on blood in the doctors' offices. The pattern of analyses for the ten most frequent analyses requested from primary care differs from the pattern of analyses requested from the hospitals. As compared with the number of analyses requested for P-creatinine, the analyses P-aspartate aminotransferase, P-alkaline phosphatase, B-sedimentation rate and B-differential counts were requested more than twice as frequently from primary care as from the hospitals. The pattern of analyses requested for a number of the 20 most frequently requested analyses shows considerably variation from hospital to hospital. This is especially pronounced for B-sedimentation rate and B-leucocyte counts. | 16 |
Two human genes encoding zinc finger proteins, ZNF 12 (KOX 3) and ZNF 26 (KOX 20), map to chromosome 7p22-p21 and 12q24.33, respectively. Two members of the human zinc finger Krüppel family, ZNF 12 (KOX 3) and ZNF 26 (KOX 20), have been localized by somatic cell hybrid analysis and in situ chromosomal hybridization. The presence of individual human zinc finger genes in mouse-human hybrid DNAs was correlated with the presence of specific human chromosomes or regions of chromosomes in the corresponding cell hybrids. Analysis of such mouse-human hybrid DNAs allowed the assignment of the ZNF 12 (KOX 3) gene to chromosome region 7p. The ZNF 26 (KOX 20) gene segregated with chromosome region 12q13-qter. The zinc finger genes ZNF 12 (KOX 3) and ZNF 26 (KOX 20) were localized by in situ chromosomal hybridization to human chromosome regions 7p22-21 and 12q24.33, respectively. These genes and the previously mapped ZNF 24 (KOX 17) and ZNF 29 (KOX 26) genes, are found near fragile sites. | 14 |
Carbon fiber-reinforced carbon as a potential implant material. A carbon fiber-reinforced carbon is being evaluated as a promising implant material. In a unidirectional composite, high strengths (1200 MN/m2 longitudinal flexural strength) and high modulus (140 GN/m2 flexural modulus) may be obtained with an interlaminar shear strength of 18 MN/m2. Alternatively, layers of fibers may be laid in two directions to give more isotopic properties. The compatibility of the material with bone has been studied by implanting specimens in holes drilled in rat femora. For a period of up to 8 weeks, a thin layer of fibrous tissue bridged the gap between bone and implant; but this tissue mineralizes and by 10 weeks, bone can be observed adjacent to the implant, giving firm fixation. Potential applications include endosseous dental implants where a greater strength in the neck than that provided by unreinforced carbon would be advantageous. | 14 |
Molecular structure and dynamics of acetylcholine. Molecular dynamics simulations and energy calculations based on the AMBER force field were used to examine the molecular movements and low-energy conformations of acetylcholine in vacuum and in aqueous solution. Electronic structures of acetylcholine were calculated by ab initio quantum mechanical calculations. Three conformations obtained from crystal structures and two from previous calculations were used as starting geometries in the simulations. The trans, gauche conformer had lowest energy both in vacuum and in aqueous solution. Both trans, gauche and trans, trans conformers were observed during molecular dynamics in water, which indicates that both conformations are relatively stable. The acetyl methyl group rotated more rapidly than those at the nitrogen atom during molecular dynamics simulations in water. Correlation times of both types of methyl groups were in good agreement with NMR data, which demonstrates that such simulations provide valid information about molecular movements of the neurotransmitter. | 17 |
Fibrin-antibiotic mixtures: an in vitro study assessing the possibility of using a biologic carrier for local drug delivery. An in vitro study assessing the kinetics of drug release from antibiotic-fibrin seal compounds and the antibacterial efficacy of the delivered drug has been performed. Antibiotic sensitivity and the amount of drug released was measured by means of agar diffusion test. Standard and experimental curves were established for each antibiotic and each bacterial test in order to evaluate the quantities of the drug released during each 24 h period. The reconstitution of lyophilized human fibrin with an aqueous solution containing an antibiotic resulted in only minor modification of the clotting process, with the exception of those solutions containing cefotaxim and mezlocillin which failed to clot altogether and were excluded from further study. The evaluation of the kinetics of elution of the antibiotics from the fibrin clots showed that all of the antibiotics had been almost completely released by 96 h. The delivered amount of each drug was enough to maintain the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) until the 4th day of culture for the most of antibiotics, resulting in a prolonged release of the drug. | 21 |
The effect of ACTH administration on serum estrogens, LH, and FSH in the aged. The effect of administration of long acting ACTH on serum levels of estrogens, LH and FSH was studied in aged subjects. Nine women and 5 men between 66 and 90 years of age were examined. One milligram of long-acting synthetic ACTH was given in every 12 h for 2 days. Significant increases in serum estrone and estradiol levels were induced in parallel with serum cortisol at 24 hours and no further change was observed at 48 hours. The estrone/estradiol ratio increased from a control value of 3.0 to 4.0 at 24 hours and to 4.7 at 48 hours (P less than 0.02) compared to control values. | 12 |
Ovulation induction in women age 40 and older: the importance of basal follicle-stimulating hormone level and chronological age. To determine pregnancy and livebirth rates for women age 40 and older undergoing ovulation induction and to assess the impact of basal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) on outcome in these patients. Prospective, observational. Fertility service of university medical center. Infertile couples in whom the female partner was age 40 or older referred for ovulation induction therapy. Assessment of basal hormonal status; ovulation induction. Clinical pregnancy rate (PR), livebirth rate. Analysis of 402 cycles in 85 women age 40 and older demonstrated a clinical PR of 3.5% per cycle (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7% to 5.3%). The livebirth rate was 1.2% per cycle (95% CI 0.1% to 2.3%). Women with a basal FSH < 25 IU/L and age < 44 years had a clinical PR of 5.2% per cycle (95% CI 2.5% to 7.9%) compared with 0.0% per cycle (95% CI 0.0% to 2.1%) in cases in which either basal FSH was > or = 25 IU/L or age was > or = 44 (P < 0.005). The prognostic importance of basal FSH and chronological age was confirmed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The predictive value of the resulting regression equation was high (R2 = 0.94; P < 0.01). Pregnancy and livebirth rates are generally low during ovulation induction in women age 40 and older. In combination, basal FSH and chronological age are accurate predictors of PR, in these couples and can define a subset of patients with a more favorable prognosis. The spontaneous abortion rate in women who do conceive is high, substantially lowering the livebirth rate. | 13 |
Perceived self-efficacy as a predictor of aftercare treatment entry by the detoxification patient. 63 urban, male, polysubstance abusers enrolled in an inpatient, hospital detoxification program with plans for aftercare were administered a set of 27 items describing behaviors that staff members nominated as necessary to make a transition from detoxification to aftercare. Patients were asked to rate each item twice, estimating (1) the importance of the described behavior to the achievement of aftercare and (2) their perceived ability to execute it. These ratings produced two highly saturated univariate tests, the Importance to Aftercare Scale (alpha = .89) of 17 items that did not predict aftercare entry and the Perceived Efficacy to Aftercare Entry Scale (alpha = .90) of 20 items which did correlate (.28) with entering aftercare. | 22 |
The nutritionally at risk child. Part 2 : study of factors pertinent to the child, siblings or mother. Several high risk factors were evaluated in an attempt to determine the Egyptian children who are more prone to become malnourished. The study included 110 children with energy protein malnutrition and 98 normal children. Their ages were between 4 months and 3 years. Among the factors investigated, the 2nd 6 months of life was found to be the most critical for nutritional deficiency. Presence of previous siblings with malnutrition, presence of more than 2 sibling deaths and presence of history of severe diarrhoea with dehydration were significantly related to the nutritional status of children. Twinning, birth order and birth interval showed some relation to malnutrition but were not statistically significant. The sex of the child and maternal weight did not influence the nutritional state of children. However, these low-socialclass children were found to be mostly (92.8%) breast fed. | 11 |
[Prenatal diagnosis in dermatology: contribution of the ultrastructural study]. Fetoscopy and fetal skin biopsy have together played an important role for antenatal diagnosis of various hereditary skin disorders (genodermatoses). The fetus and placenta can be visualized directly and skin biopsy samples can be obtained for light and electron microscopic studies, tissue culture and biochemical analysis. These techniques have been used successfully in the prenatal diagnosis or exclusion of some types of epidermolysis bullosa, ichthyosis, Chediak-Higashi syndrome, oculocutaneous albinism and anhydrotic ectodermal dysplasia in fetuses known to be at risk from these diseases. The purpose of this report is to describe the current methods of fetoscopy and fetal skin biopsy and to review their main dermatological indications. Complications associated with these procedures are also discussed. | 18 |
Early morning hyperglycaemia "dawn phenomenon" in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM): effects of cortisol suppression by metyrapone. To assess the effect of metyrapone on the early morning plasma glucose (PG) rise, seven NIDDM patients were studied from 2400 to 0900 h on two separate occasions one week apart. During the control study nights, patients received conventional therapy only (diet plus sulphonylurea) whereas on treatment nights, patients received in addition 30 mg/kg metyrapone orally at 2400 h. The plasma glucose (PG) levels from 0530 to 0900 h were significantly higher during the control night than the corresponding values following metyrapone. The control mean PG concentrations increased continuously from a nadir 8.4 +/- 1.1 mmol/l at 0400 h to a maximum of 9.4 +/- 1.1 mmol/l at 0800 h (p less than 0.01). In contrast following metyrapone administration a continuous decline in the PG concentration was noted from 2400 to 0800 h. The plasma glucose levels fell from 9.0 +/- 1.2 at 0400 h to 7.7 +/- 1.0 mmol/l at 0800 h (p less than 0.05). The mean overnight cortisol levels were 167.2 +/- 13.2 and 55.9 +/- 6.4 nmol/l (p less than 0.001) during the control and treatment studies, respectively. The cortisol levels were significantly higher during the control study at all time points from 0400 to 0900 h. No significant changes in insulin, C-peptide, glucagon, GH or catecholamine levels were observed between the two study periods. We conclude that the physiologic early morning rise in plasma cortisol possibly contributes to the pathogenesis of the dawn phenomenon in NIDDM patients. | 19 |
Morphometric analysis of skeletal response to vitamin D in uremic rats fed a low calcium diet. The response of tibial metaphyses to pharmacologic levels of vitamin D in uremic rats fed a low calcium diet was evaluated morphometrically. Uremic (5/6 nephrectomized) rats given vitamin D had increased percent metaphyseal hard tissue, trabecular surface perimeter and percent trabecular osteoid surface and reduced numbers of osteoblasts and osteoclasts per millimeter of trabecular perimeter compared to either uremic rats given placebo or sham-operated rats given vitamin D. It was concluded that the resistance of metaphyseal trabeculae in uremic rats to vitamin D was due in part to the increase in osteoid-covered surfaces which inhibited osteoclasis and subsequent remodeling. The pathogenesis of worsening osteomalacia as a consequence of vitamin D administration to uremic rats on a low calcium diet remains unclear. | 25 |
Temporary intraabdominal cryptorchidism in the weanling rat leads to irreversible azoospermia. To study surgical reversibility of intraabdominal cryptorchidism, a study in which weanling rats were made artificially cryptorchid was undertaken. At the same time both sperm ducts were anastomosed into the urine bladder (vasocystostomy) to enable sperm output measurements, which were performed by putting the animals in metabolic cages for 24 hr. Group I animals were reoperated on 2 weeks after the initial cryptorchidism operation to reverse this intervention by an orchiopexy operation; in Group II orchiopexy was carried out after 4 weeks, in Group III after 8 weeks. In Group IV, a control group in which only the vasocystostomy operation was performed, the rats were sham operated. The animals were followed for 3 months after orchiopexy. All control animals showed sperm output between 20 and 30 million of spermatozoa per 24 hr from the age of 13 weeks on. However, experimental animals that had been de facto cryptorchid did not show any sperm output. Three out of 4 animals in which spontaneous descent of one or both testes had taken place showed sperm output from 6 to 8 weeks after orchiopexy. The results show that, notwithstanding the short periods of cryptorchidism, certain irreversible changes had already developed. | 15 |
Steroid hormone receptors and in vitro transcription. Steroid hormone receptors are ligand-inducible transcription factors that exhibit potent effect on gene expression in living cells. Precise dissection of their mode of action at the molecular level can best be carried out in functional cell-free systems. This article will describe the benefits of such systems and review their development up to the recent establishment of steroid receptor-dependent in vitro transcription. Subsequent advances in our knowledge of receptor function arising from the exploitation of this powerful experimental tool will be described. Particular emphasis will be placed upon two key problems: the role of steroid hormone in receptor action and the mechanisms by which steroid receptors activate gene transcription. | 14 |
Incidence of lateral meniscus injury in professional basketball players. We reviewed National Basketball Trainers Association data over a 6-year period to determine the incidence of lateral meniscus injury among professional basketball players. Our results indicated that 58% of all injuries involved the lateral meniscus, while 42% involved the medial meniscus. This differs from what other authors have reported for basketball players. The lateral meniscus may be vulnerable to chronic injury and subject to microtrauma from repetitive submaximal stresses associated with cutting or changing direction while running, or from pivoting. A professional player is at more risk of injury during a game than practice, and thus is exposed to injury more than a collegian because the professional season has three to four times as many games. Also, magnetic resonance imaging may aid the physician in accurately diagnosing some tears that would otherwise have gone undetected or required arthroscopy for diagnosis. In addition, injury to the lateral meniscus could produce secondary symptoms such as instability or patellofemoral pain to structures other than the lateral meniscus. | 18 |
Synthesis and regulation of the fourth component of complement (C4) in the human monocytic cell line U937: comparison with that of the third component of complement (C3). Production of the fourth component of complement (C4) by the human monocytic cell line U937 and its regulation were investigated in comparison with the production of the third component of complement (C3) in a cell culture system. Although no detectable C4 was produced by U937 without stimulation, U937 was induced by recombinant interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) to synthesize C4 in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. The production of C4 was reversibly inhibited by cycloheximide, indicating that it resulted from de novo synthesis. The C4 synthesized by U937 cells was functionally active as assessed by haemolytic assay. SDS-PAGE following biosynthetic labelling showed that subunit structure of C4 synthesized by U937 cells was identical with that of plasma C4 but that molecular weight of alpha-chain was greater than that of plasma C4. We compared the regulation of C4 synthesis with that of C3 synthesis. Although C3 synthesis by U937 cells was enhanced by IFN-gamma, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), C4 synthesis was induced only by IFN-gamma. LPS and IFN-gamma induced a synergistic increase in C3 synthesis by U937 cells. U937 cells incubated with LPS and IFN-gamma synthesized a greater amount of C4 than those incubated with IFN-gamma alone. Thus it was demonstrated that the synthesis of C3 and C4 was independently regulated. This study shows that the U937 cell line provides a useful model for studies on the synthesis of complement proteins and on the regulation of complement production. | 16 |
[Blood parameters variation in Calomys musculinus infected with Junin virus, strain XJCl3]. The aim of this study was to analyze the alterations in homeostasis induced by Junin virus during acute and persistent infection of C. musculinus. Virus presence in brain, hematological response and glycemia levels were evaluated. Newborn C. musculinus inoculated with 4000 DL50 of Junin virus, strain XJCl3 by intraperitoneal route developed a typical acute disease, with 50-70% mortality. Virus was isolated from brain starting day 6 post-infection (Fig. 1) and the peak titer (10(8) DL50/ml) was reached at 12 days post-infection. Neutralizing anti-Junin virus antibodies were detected from day 11 post-infection and all chronically infected animals developed persistent levels of neutralizing antibodies. In the acute stage of infection, 40% of the animals developed lymphopenia and neutrophilia (Fig. 2) while a slight variation was observed in the monocyte population. An important hypoglycemia was also seen in the acute infection (mean = 3.52 mmol/l) in comparison with control values (mean = 6.21 mmol/l), p less than 0.01 (Fig. 3). By contrast during the chronic stage of infection, neither hematological parameters (Table 2) varied between infected and control animals. | 13 |
Neuropeptide gene expression in hypothalamic magnocellular neurons of normal and hypophysectomized rats: a combined immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization study. Hypothalamic magnocellular neurons of the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei contain several peptides and non-peptide putative neurotransmitters co-existing with vasopressin and oxytocin. However, the functional role of these substances is still unknown. In the present paper the temporal course of changes in the expression of vasopressin, oxytocin, galanin, cholecystokinin, dynorphin and tyrosine hydroxylase in magnocellular hypothalamic neurons of rats subjected to hypophysectomy was examined. Following different survival times the animals were processed either for immunohistochemistry with antibodies against the above mentioned peptides or for in situ hybridization with synthetic oligonucleotide probes complementary to the mRNAs encoding for the peptides. The results obtained showed a marked rise in vasopressin mRNA levels at two days followed by a decrease up to 36 days of survival. Oxytocin mRNA responded to the lesion with a transient decrease, with its lowest values between five and seven days. This was followed by a recovery which almost reached normal values at 36 days of survival. The results also showed a marked, transient activation of the synthetic pathway for galanin and cholecystokinin. The numbers of cells expressing these peptides were maximal between five and seven days, and the respective mRNA levels were significantly increased at these survival times. This was followed by a decrease in the amount of galanin- and cholecystokinin-like immunoreactivity as well as in the levels of their respective mRNAs. Dynorphin-like immunoreactivity showed a course similar to that of galanin and cholecystokinin in operated animals. However, the amounts of dynorphin mRNA were significantly increased at two days, but were followed by a reduction at five days and remained low throughout the different survival times tested. The experiments performed with the tyrosine hydroxylase antibodies and probe showed undetectable levels of the enzyme and its mRNA in normal and hypophysectomized animals. These results demonstrate that, in magnocellular hypothalamic neurons, expression of several peptides occur in differential ways after hypophysectomy. The possibility is discussed that these changes represent part of the mechanisms underlying the process of degeneration and regeneration known to occur in magnocellular hypothalamic neurons after hypophysectomy. | 18 |
[Vascularized fibula transfer. A review]. The first vascularized fibula transfer was done by Ueba et al. (1983) in 1974 and has since become a standard technique for special indications in the English, French, Japanese and Chinese-world. Within the last 5 years this technique has received more and more attention in the German-speaking countries. The vascularized fibula transfer is successfully used to reconstruct segmental bone defects larger than 5 to 8 cm that are caused by trauma, tumor, pseudarthrosis or congenital defects. When used to treat osteomyelitis, the vascularized fibula transfer failed to fulfill expectations. Bone defects smaller than 10 cm can also be treated by vascularized iliac crest transfer. To achieve rapid healing, the following points must be followed carefully: when treating osteomyelitis, the infection must be healed--negative cultures and good granulation tissue--prior to bone transplantation. Application of systemic or local antibiotics and aggressive debridement of necrotic bone and soft tissue must be carried out until the cultures taken from the wound are negative. Soft tissue defects must be treated by soft tissue transfer in order to facilitate wound closure with well-vascularized tissue. Vascularized bone transfer should be the treatment of choice for the femur and upper extremities. Precise preoperative planning, especially in high-energy trauma cases, reduces the complication rate. Rigid internal fixation of the bone graft with the recipient site by a smaller proximal and distal plate or by a plate bridging the whole bone defect running parallel to the fibula graft leads to rapid healing without malalignment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) | 12 |
Focal conduction block in the dorsal root ganglion in experimental allergic neuritis. Acute experimental allergic neuritis was induced in Lewis rats by inoculation with bovine intradural root myelin and adjuvants. In terminal experiments, sensory conduction was assessed in rats with hindlimb ataxia and weakness by stimulating the exposed sciatic nerve and recording directly from the exposed L-4 spinal nerve, dorsal root ganglion, dorsal root, and dorsal root entry zone. Focal conduction block was present in a high proportion of large-diameter fibers in the dorsal root ganglion. In contrast, nerve conduction in the peripheral nerve and spinal nerve was essentially normal apart from probable conduction block in some fibers in the proximal spinal nerve in a minority of rats. The afferent volley arriving at the dorsal root entry zone of the spinal cord was greatly reduced, as a consequence of the conduction block in the dorsal root ganglion and probable conduction block in the dorsal root. The M wave recorded from the fourth dorsal interosseus muscle of the hindfoot was normal in amplitude but slightly prolonged in latency and the H reflex was absent. These electrophysiological findings correlated well with the histological findings of inflammation and prominent demyelination in the dorsal root ganglia and dorsal roots with minimal involvement of the proximal spinal nerve and no involvement of the sciatic nerve. It is concluded that the hindlimb ataxia in rats with this form of acute experimental allergic neuritis is due to demyelination-induced nerve conduction block in the dorsal root ganglia and probably in the dorsal roots. | 19 |
Ninety-day toxicity study of chloral hydrate in the Sprague-Dawley rat. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were administered drinking water containing 300, 600, 1200, or 2400 mg/L chloral hydrate for 90 days. A control group received distilled water only. No animals died during the study and no differences were observed in body weight gain or food and water consumption, except for males at the highest-dose level. Minor treatment-related effects were observed for organ weights and hematological parameters and these did not appear to be of toxicological significance. Some indications of toxicity were evident in the 2400 mg/L male group (equivalent to 168 mg/kg-day) including a significant decrease in food and water consumption and in weight gain. In addition, histopathological examination of these animals revealed an apparent increase in the incidence of focal hepatocellular necrosis. Increases in AST, ALT, and LDH, which occurred at several dose levels in males, but particularly at 200 mg/L, are consistent with the hepatocellular necrosis of minimal to mild severity diagnosed by microscopic examination. These liver changes, except for sporadic enzyme changes, were not seen in the female rats which actually consumed higher doses of chloral hydrate (e.g., 288 mg/kg-day at 2400 mg/L). On the basis of the mild liver toxicity (histopathological and clinical) observed in males at the highest doses (168 mg/kg-day), the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for oral exposure of rats to chloral hydrate for 90 days is considered to be 96 mg/kg-day (600 mg/L). | 17 |
Cell-mediated immune responses in cattle adult-vaccinated with Brucella abortus strain 19 and in cattle infected with Brucella abortus field strain. Cell-mediated immune responses in cattle adult-vaccinated with Brucella abortus strain 19, cattle infected with B abortus field strain, and nonexposed cattle were studied by an in vitro lumphocyte-stimulation test (LST). Lymphocytes were prepared from peripheral bovine blood by the Ficoll-diatrizoate technique, and results were assayed for [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA by liquid scintillation spectrometry. Serotests and bacteriologic isolation attempts were conducted simultaneously with LST. Lymphocytes from cattle infected with field strains had significantly (P = 0.01) higher specific lymphocyte-stimulation inexposed controls. The LST, the serum standard-tube agglutination test (STT), the Rivanol (RIV) test, and the complement-fixation (CF) test correctly classified cattle from which field strains and strain 19 of B abortus were isolated. The LST was negative in cattle vaccinated with B abortus strain 19 (nonshedding), but the three serotests had many false-positive reactions. The CF test had the least false-positive reaction, followed by the RIV test, and the STT was the least specific. Well before the three serotests became positive, the LST was positive in samples from some cattle during the incubation period of the infection. There was little or no correlation between cell-mediated immune responses (as measured by LST) and serum antibody responses (as measured by STT, RIV test, and CF test) in vaccinated but culture-negative cattle and in some nonvaccinated cattle during the incubation period. | 17 |
A follow-up study of children with articulation and language disorders. Thirty-six subjects, 18 language-impaired and 18 articulation-impaired children, were followed up with respect to communication skills and educational performance 13 to 20 years after their initial contact with the Speech and Hearing Clinic. According to their parents, nine language-impaired subjects continued to exhibit communication problems as adults, compared to only one of the articulation-impaired subjects. Standardized educational testing conducted while the subjects were in elementary and secondary schools indicated that the language-impaired group consistently achieved at a lower level than the articulation-impaired group, particularly in reading. Differences between the groups were also exhibited in the types of postsecondary education attempted by the subjects. Clinical, educational, and research implications of these results are discussed. | 16 |
Hemoglobin H disease in children. One hundred and ten children with hemoglobin H (Hb H) disease who attended the hematology unit of the Department of Pediatrics at Songklanagarind Hospital from 1982 to 1988 were studied. Hb Constant spring (Hb CS) was found in 55 patients. Four patients, two with Hb CS, were diagnosed during the newborn period. Anemia and jaundice were the main symptoms in three neonates, while the fourth one was found to have anemia with hepatosplenomegaly. Nine infants were diagnosed in the first year of life with the chief symptoms of anemia with or without fever. Two of them needed blood transfusions. Hb H was found in only three infants, while Hb Bart's was the constant finding in every infant. The Hb H children with Hb CS had a more severe clinical course than the group without Hb CS. The levels of Hb at steady state were found to be lower and the reticulocyte counts, red cells with inclusion bodies and Hb H were higher in patients with Hb CS. The clinical picture of acute hemolysis in Hb H children can be found in the neonatal period and the difference in clinical severity between the two genotypes of Hb H disease seems to develop from the first year of life. | 10 |
Kinetic analysis of water transport through a single-file pore. We apply the diagrammatic method developed by Hill (1977. Free Energy Transduction in Biology. Academic Press, New York) to analyze single-file water transport. We use this formalism to derive explicit expressions for the osmotic and diffusive permeabilities Pf and Pd of a pore. We first consider a vacancy mechanism of transport analogous to the one-vacancy pore model previously used by Kohler and Heckmann (1979. J. Theor. Biol. 79:381-401). (a) For the general one-vacancy case, we find that the permeability ratio can be expressed by Pf/Pd = (Pf/Pd)eqf(wA,wB), where the second factor is a function of the water activities in the two adjoining compartments A and B. As a consequence, the permeability ratio in general can effectively differ from its value at equilibrium. We also find that n - 1 less than or equal to (Pf/Pd)eq less than or equal to n, a result already proposed by Kohler and Heckmann (1979. J. Theor. Biol. 79:381-401). (b) When vacancy states are transient intermediates, the model can be reduced to a diagram consisting of only fully occupied states. Such a diagram resembles the one describing a no-vacancy mechanism of transport (c), but in spite of the similarity the expressions obtained for the permeability coefficients still retain the basic relationships of the original (a) nonreduced one-vacancy model. (c) We then propose a kinetic description of a no-vacancy mechanism of single-file water transport. In this case, the expressions derived for Pf and Pd are formally equivalent to those obtained by Finkelstein and Rosenberg (1979. Membrane Transport Processes. Vol. 3. C.F. Stevens and R.W. Tsien, editors, Raven Press, New York. 73-88.) A main difference with the vacancy mechanism is that here the permeability coefficients are independent of the water activities. | 9 |
Serratia: opportunistic pathogen of increasing clinical importance. Serratia marcescens can become a formidable nosocomial (hospital acquired) pathogen, and is reported increasingly in the world literature. However, it is only a recently recognized problem in Australia. Serratia can carry an antibiotic-resistance plasmid, and, after entry of the organism into very sick patients, it may be hard or impossible to eliminate. Initial experience of Serratia in 34 consecutive cases isolated in a three-months period is presented. Rapid increase in the number of Serratia infections occurred after the appearance of a resistant strain. Urinary infection was the commonest presentation (91% of cases). The presence of an indwelling urinary catheter in a debilitated patient was the major predisposing factor. Significant bacteraemia followed in four cases with one death. Contamination of burns (surfaces) and surgical wounds was found in four cases. Serratia strains were found to be highly resistant to most antimicrobial agents in routine sensitivity testing, 20% being fully resistant to all tested agents, and nalidixic acid being the most effective inhibitor in the remainder. With bacteriocin typing of Serratia, two types were found to be dominant. These two bacteriocin types were not identified among strains isolated from other sources such as soil, water and local hospitals. Pharyngeal carriage was found in only one case, but faecal excretion of Serratia was found in 11 cases and may be a significant portal of dissemination. Cross-infection from a hospital reservoir of resistant organisms is postulated. A model of cross-infection is also proposed, and methods of control are discussed. In view of the established danger of Serratia in the hospital setting, its isolation can no longer be ignored. | 13 |
Dimensions of marijuana use in a midwest Catholic university: subcultural considerations. Theorists and researchers for over two decades have indicated repeatedly that marijuana use by college students has a subculture base. Crucial here is the impact that the subculture has on its members' identities, values, attitudes, and belief patterns. While it may be true that not all members of a subculture evidence the same commitment to a subculture's attitudinal and normative patterns, nonetheless they share common patterns and the more an individual becomes involved, the more he manifests these subcultural patterns. Explorations of this subculture rationale are conducted utilizing a trichotomy of marijuana type users. The findings lend support more to the theoretical notion of subculture intervention as a threshold variable than a continuum variable. | 16 |
Cancer risk following exposure to Thorotrast: overview in relation to a case report. Radioactive measurements and histopathologic findings are described in a patient administered Thorotrast, a radiographic contrast agent, 36 y prior to death and compared with cancer risks noted in epidemiologic studies. This person [designated as U.S. Uranium Registry (USUR) Case 1001] had prearranged for donation of her body to the USUR and the National Cancer Institute for study. Elevated levels of radioactivity were noted in those organs in which excess cancers have been reported in epidemiologic surveys of Thorotrast-exposed subjects. Hepatic tissue in USUR Case 1001 was estimated to have received an average lifetime absorbed dose of 16.2 Gy, based on radiochemical analyses, consistent with the high risks for liver tumors reported in all studied populations. Thorotrast was present throughout the bone marrow of USUR Case 1001, who died secondary to complications of refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB). Elevated risks for acute myeloid leukemia have been noted in Thorotrast patients, and more recently, cases of RAEB and RAEB in transformation have been reported. The thorium decay series includes the bone-seeking radionuclides 224Ra and 228Ra, which have been associated with high risks for osteosarcomas, although the association between Thorotrast and bone cancer is not as convincing. The skeleton of USUR Case 1001, however, contained significant levels of radioactivity. Other tissues evaluated in USUR Case 1001 included lung, eye, kidney, and breast, which did not contain elevated levels of radioactivity. | 15 |
Imidazoline antagonists of alpha 2-adrenoceptors increase insulin release in vitro by inhibiting ATP-sensitive K+ channels in pancreatic beta-cells. 1. Islets from normal mice were used to study the mechanisms by which imidazoline antagonists of alpha 2-adrenoceptors increase insulin release in vitro. 2. Alinidine, antazoline, phentolamine and tolazoline inhibited 86Rb efflux from islets perifused with a medium containing 3 mM glucose, i.e. under conditions where many adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive K+ channels are open in the beta-cell membrane. They also reduced the acceleration of 86Rb efflux caused by diazoxide, an opener of ATP-sensitive K+ channels. 3. ATP-sensitive and voltage-sensitive K+ currents were measured in single beta-cells by the whole-cell mode of the patch-clamp technique. Antazoline more markedly inhibited the ATP-sensitive than the voltage-sensitive current, an effect previously observed with phentolamine. Alinidine and tolazoline partially decreased the ATP-sensitive K+ current. 4. The four imidazolines reversed the inhibition of insulin release caused by diazoxide (through opening of ATP-sensitive K+ channels) or by clonidine (through activation of alpha 2-adrenoceptors) in a concentration-dependent manner. Only the former effect correlated with the ability of each drug to increase control insulin release stimulated by 15 mM glucose alone. 5. It is concluded that the ability of imidazoline antagonists of alpha 2-adrenoceptors to increase insulin release in vitro can be ascribed to their blockade of ATP-sensitive K+ channels in beta-cells rather than to their interaction with the adrenoceptor. | 13 |
The effects of a six-week, low-intensity Nautilus circuit training program on resting blood pressure in females. 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. | 14 |
Fasting serum gastrin and basal gastric acid secretion. The gastric secretion of acid was examined 30 minutes basally (BAO) and in response to stepwise increasing doses of pentagastrin in subjects with (n = 51) and without (n = 40) peptic ulcer disease. None of them showed basal anacidity. Before insertion of the gastric tube, blood was taken for radioimmunological determination of the serum gastrin concentration (SG). A significant positive correlation was found between SG and BAO in the subjects without ulcer. This was mainly due to a close correlation in 20 healthy young volunteers. When BAO and SG was expressed as proportions of calculated maximal acid response (Vmax) and half maximal dose of pentagastrin (Km), respectively, the positive correlation between SG and BAO was improved and reached significance also in the individuals with peptic ulcer disease. The findings suggest that the serum concentration of gastrin plays a role in the basal gastric secretion. | 13 |
A comparison of the safety of therapeutically equivalent doses of isradipine and diltiazem for treatment of essential hypertension. We compared the safety of a new dihydropyridine calcium entry blocker, isradipine, with an equipotent dose of diltiazem in 174 mild hypertensives (diastolic blood pressure [DBP] 95 to 105 mm Hg). After appropriate washout and placebo periods, patients were randomly assigned to receive either 1.25 mg isradipine twice daily (Group I) or 40 mg diltiazem thrice daily (Group D). If DBP remained above 90 mm Hg, doses were increased to a maximum of 5 mg isradipine twice daily or 120 mg diltiazem thrice daily. Active therapy was given for a total of 12 weeks. Only 18 patients (nine from each group) did not complete the protocol. The patients were well-matched at baseline with a mean BP of 149/100 mm Hg for those who were randomized to isradipine and completed the protocol and 153/99 mm Hg for the diltiazem group. The responses to each drug were excellent with 72% of the isradipine patients and 73% of the diltiazem group having DBP less than 90 mm Hg at the completion of the study. Of the 156 patients who completed the protocol, only 18 patients (ten in Group I and eight in Group D) failed to respond. Both drugs were well-tolerated. No adverse reactions were reported by 68 percent of the patients in Group I and 65% of those in Group D. The most common side effect was headache (9.0% in Group I and 7.8% in Group D) followed by fatigue (5.2% in Group I and 3.9% in Group D). Age and race did not predict response to either agent but men responded slightly better to diltiazem than women. We conclude that isradipine and diltiazem are equally well tolerated and can be used successfully as a monotherapy to treat hypertension in a wide variety of patients. | 14 |
Determination of the length of the histological stages of apoptosis in normal liver and in altered hepatic foci of rats. Apoptosis is a form of cell death involved in the regulation of cell number in various organs and tumors. Quantitative determination of cell loss through apoptosis in histological sections requires, in addition to counts of apoptotic cells, information on the duration of the histologically visible stages of apoptosis. Here we describe a method to determine the duration of apoptosis in (i) normal and (ii) putative preneoplastic tissue of the liver. (i) Female rats were treated with high doses of the hepatomitogen cyproterone acetate (CPA) to induce liver hyperplasia. After stopping CPA treatment, the hyperplasia partially regressed and excessive hepatocytes were eliminated by apoptosis. CPA was given to block the initiation of apoptosis, and thereafter the time course of elimination of apoptotic cell residues (apoptotic bodies, ABs) from the liver was studied. The mean duration of the histological stages of apoptosis was found to be approximately 3 h. (ii) Phenotypically altered cell foci in rat liver were produced by a single dose of N-nitrosomorpholine and subsequent promotion for 39 weeks with phenobarbital (PB). PB was withdrawn to stop foci growth and to stimulate apoptosis. Then rats were retreated with PB to block initiation of apoptosis in foci. The results indicate that the majority of apoptotic bodies in foci disappeared within 4 h after PB, suggesting that the stages of apoptosis are as short in foci as in normal liver. Finally a simple formula is given to calculate the cell loss rate by apoptosis. The method presented may provide data for quantitative cancer risk assessment from mathematical models of carcinogenesis. | 16 |
[The participation of brain noradrenergic structures in thermoregulation during cold adaptation]. Noradrenaline injected into cerebral lateral ventricles was found to change the temperature homeostasis in white rats. The fall of rectal temperature, the rise of brown adipose tissue temperature and oxygen consumption occurred within 25-30 min after the injection. Preliminary adaptation to cold increased the effect of noradrenaline. The beta-adrenergic blockade of cerebral structures by propranolol altered the noradrenaline effect: both the rise of brown adipose tissue temperature and the oxygen consumption increase do not occur. This effect is more obvious in cold-adapted animals. The adaptation to cold seems to increase the sensitivity of central adrenergic structures to noradrenaline, central beta-adrenoreceptors being mainly responsible for the effect of noradrenaline (the rise of brown adipose tissue temperature and the oxygen consumption increase) on the thermoregulation. | 17 |
Living with dying: coping with HIV disease. People diagnosed with HIV disease experience multiple and severe stressors; however, little is known about these stressors and coping among this population. This phenomenological study was undertaken to (1) gain an understanding of the informants' lived experiences of coping with HIV disease and (2) develop a disease-specific instrument to measure stress and coping. The study involved interviews with 36 people with HIV disease. The interviews were analyzed and synthesized to (1) derive the structure of the experience through phenomenological analysis and (2) identify stress and coping themes through content analysis. Only the findings from the phenomenological analysis are reported here. The structure of the lived experience of coping with HIV disease unfolds from the initial diagnosis of being HIV-seropositive through the diagnosis of AIDS to impending death. The processes involved in this structure were labeled Living with Dying, Fighting the Sickness, and Getting Worn Out. | 14 |
Infrahyoid and accessory motoneurons in the Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata). The segmental and topographical organization of motoneurons innervating the infrahyoid (IH) and the spinal accessory (AC) muscles was studied in the Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata) with the retrograde horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method after application of HRP to the peripheral nerve branches supplying the IH and AC muscles. IH motoneurons constitute two distinct slender cell columns, a longer medial and a shorter lateral one. The medial cell column extends from the most caudal level of the hypoglossal nucleus to the lower levels of the second cervical (C2) cord segment. In the medial column, motoneurons supplying the sternohyoid and sternothyroid muscles are distributed at the medullary and C1 levels, while those innervating the omohyoid muscle are primarily distributed at the C2 level. The lateral cell column consists of motoneurons supplying the thyrohyoid muscle and extends from the most caudal level of the hypoglossal nucleus to the middle levels of the C1 cord segment. Axons of thyrohyoid motoneurons follow a dorsomedially directed bent emergent course, making a hairpin turn. AC motoneurons supplying the sternocleidomastoid (SC) and trapezius (TZ) muscles form a single slender cell column extending from the most rostral level of the pyramidal decussation to the middle levels of the C6 cord segment. SC motoneurons are distributed from the most rostral level of the pyramidal decussation to the middle levels of the C3 cord segment, while TZ motoneurons are distributed from the upper levels of the C2 cord segment to the lower levels of the C6 cord segment. At the levels of the C2 and C3 cord segments, both SC and TZ motoneurons are distributed in the AC cell column; the cluster of SC motoneurons is located dorsomedial to that of TZ motoneurons. | 18 |
Bioactivity of marine organisms: Part VI--Screening of some marine flora from Indian coasts. Alcoholic extracts of 50 botanically identified species of marine flora have been screened for a wide range of biological activities. Of these, 2 extracts exhibited anti-amoebic and antiviral activity each, 3 of them had anti-implantation activity; 9 had hypoglycaemic activity while hypotensive activity was associated with 11 extracts; 14 extracts were found to be diuretic and 1 of them had anti-inflammatory activity. Further, 10 of these extracts exhibited 2 types of activities while a combination of 3 and 4 types of activities was observed in one extract each. Follow-up studies have been carried out in some plants with confirmed activity. The active principles and results of these studies are reported. | 15 |
WY-50, 295 tromethamine: an orally active 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor with anti-allergic activity. WY-50,295 tromethamine inhibited antigen-induced peptidoleukotriene (pLT) release from fragmented sensitized guinea pig lung (IC50 = 0.63 microM), antagonized LTD4-induced contractions of isolated guinea pig trachea (pA2 = 6.06), and suppressed antigen-induced contraction of sensitized guinea pig trachea over the 0.1-10 microM concentration range. In vivo, WY-50,295 tromethamine inhibited LTD4-induced bronchoconstriction (ED50 = 1.3 mg/kg i.v. and 6.6 mg/kg p.o.) and antigen-induced bronchoconstriction (ED50 = 2.5 mg/kg i.v. and 7.3 mg/kg p.o.) in anesthetized guinea pigs. Peak activity vs antigen was noted at 4-6 h after oral dosing and remained significant through 18 h. These studies demonstrate that WY-50,295 tromethamine possesses the complimentary actions of 5-LO inhibition and LTD4 receptor antagonism. | 14 |
Admission screening for hepatitis B surface antigen in a university hospital. Upon admission to the hospital, 7,984 patients were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by radioimmunoassay. Seventy-one patients had sera positive for HBsAg. Twenty-four (34%) were possible asymptomatic carriers in whom liver function was not further evaluated and occult liver disease could not be excluded: 16 (23%) had either a previous history or admitting diagnosis of hepatic dysfunction; eight(11%) had occult liver disease, revealed after HBsAg antigenemia was discovered; and 25 (34%) were unsuspected asymptomatic carriers whose liver function was normal. We concluded that screening for HBsAg was an effective preventive tool in identifying HBsAg-positive patients. Screening solely for the detection of occult liver disease is not an effective method because of the high cost. Perhaps because of the unsolicited nature of this data collection, screening for HBsAg was not clinically effective for the majority of patients, as evidenced by the high incidence of inadequate clinical evaluations and lack of serologic follow-up. Proposals to alleviate ineffectiveness are discussed. | 17 |
Embryonic expression of a haematopoietic growth factor encoded by the Sl locus and the ligand for c-kit. Mice carrying mutations at the W (Dominant white spotting) and Sl (Steel) loci develop abnormalities in three independent systems: neural crest-derived melanocytes, primordial germ cells and haematopoietic stem cells. Consequently, homozygotes of viable mutant alleles have white coats and are sterile and severely anaemic. Tissue recombination studies predict that the W gene is expressed cell autonomously, whereas the product of the Sl locus affects the microenvironment in which the stem cells migrate, proliferate and differentiate. The W locus encodes the protoncogene c-kit, a member of the tyrosine kinase receptor family. The haematopoietic growth factor SCF (stem cell factor) has been identified as the product of the Sl locus and a ligand for c-kit. Here, we report that SCF is expressed during embryogenesis in cells associated with both the migratory pathways and homing sites of melanoblasts, germ cells and haematopoietic stem cells. Both SCF and c-kit are also expressed in a variety of other tissues, including the brain and spinal cord, suggesting that the receptor-ligand system has additional roles in embryogenesis. | 16 |
The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID). II. Multisite test-retest reliability. A test-retest reliability study of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R was conducted on 592 subjects in four patient and two nonpatient sites in this country as well as one patient site in Germany. For most of the major categories, kappa s for current and lifetime diagnoses in the patient samples were above .60, with an overall weighted kappa of .61 for current and .68 for lifetime diagnoses. For the nonpatients, however, agreement was considerably lower, with a mean kappa of .37 for current and .51 for lifetime diagnoses. These values for the patient and nonpatient samples are roughly comparable to those obtained with other structured diagnostic instruments. Sources of diagnostic disagreement, such as inadequate training of interviewers, information variance, and low base rates for many disorders, are discussed. | 13 |
Pre-morbid factors in Hodgkin's disease. II. BCG-vaccination status, tuberculosis, infectious diseases, tonsillectomy, and appendectomy. In young adults with Hodgkin's disease, cell mediated immunity (CMI) was evaluated retrospectively from their health records. The register of records from the school health service of the Copenhagen Council was scrutinized in order to find the records of those with HD born between 1930 and 1950 in whom the disease had been diagnosed between 1943 and 1975. Whenever possible, three controls were selected from the register for each case; they were comparable in respect of sex, year and month of birth and socio-economic background. The material consisted of 63 cases and 182 controls. Information regarding BCG-vaccinations, tuberculin skin-tests, the frequency of tuberculosis, bacterial and viral diseases, and of tonsilectomy, adenoidectomy and appendectomy was obtained from the school health records. 2 HD patients have had tuberculosis versus none in the control group. Complications to or prolonged course of viral diseases were reported neither in HD patients nor in controls. No significant differences were found in the frequency of BCG-vaccination, tuberculin reactivity, viral and bacterial diseases, adenoidectomy, tonsilectomy and appendectomy. Therefore our findings do not support the concept of a pre-morbid CMI deficiency state in HD. | 13 |
[Elementary logic and semantic fields in aphasia]. Modern linguistics, like genetic psychology, postulate a non-linguistic basis for the structurisation of the semantic fields. If such is the case, it should be possible to observe in aphasia, where semantic deficiency predominates, a related disturbance in the semantic fields and logic. Paraxodically, such disturbances have been observed both in Broca's aphasia and in the predominantly semantic aphasia of Wernicke. A qualitative analysis shows that quantitatively identical results in the semantic aphasias of Broca and Wernicke are the result of phenomenological convergence. The related disturbance in the semantic fields and logic appears characteristic of the semantic deficiency which, in aphasic semiology, is marked by the substitution of one word for another. These finding support the theory of the relative autonomy of phonemic and semantic disorders in Wernicke's aphasia. They confirm the linguistic and genetic theory that the structure of vocabulatory is based on extralinguistic factors. They do not however provide an explantation for semantic disorders in aphasia. Further research is required to discover on what functional system articulation of the symbolic function and general operative capacity is based. | 17 |
[Burns]. Extensive burns are severe, life-threatening injuries. Cutaneous burns are often accompanied by injury to inhalation, leading to severe pulmonary problems with a high rate of mortality. Published reports on series of burn patients state that in 2-5% of all (burn) cases, cutaneous thermal injury was accompanied by mechanical injuries such as fractures, closed head injuries, or blunt injuries to chest and abdomen. The care of the burn is often made difficult by concomitant orthopaedic injury, and in a multiple trauma victim, the burn itself often complicates diagnosis and treatment. It is important to recognize all injuries as soon as possible. The article briefly discusses practical considerations when treating patients with multiple injuries including cutaneous burns and/or inhalation injury. After initial resuscitation and stabilization these patients should be transferred to a specialized treatment facility for burns. As a rule, open surgical reduction and fixation of fractures should be carried out no later than 48 hours after the injury. | 15 |
Medical ethics: some uses, abuses, and limitations. A backlash against medical ethics may be developing because of a misunderstanding of its purpose and limitation. A primary role of medical ethics is to "structure" the disputed issues--i.e., by detailing the relevant principles and implications, analyzing the pivotal concepts, and focusing on the relevant facts. Medical ethics is limited by being unable to discriminate finely, so that a single line of action can seldom be determined by moral criteria alone. Underlying many criticisms of medical ethics is the failure to realize that medical ethics as such is not a reform movement or an effort to inspire moral behavior, that it is not and cannot be a specialist's body of esoteric knowledge, that it requires facts and conceptual analyses from other fields to do its work, and that value arguments can be carried farther than one generally expects. | 19 |
The effect of ethylnitrosourea on chromosome aberrations in vitro and in vivo. The effect of ENU on (A) human chromosomes from blood lymphocyte cultures in vitro, and on (B) rat and mouse bone marrow chromosomes in vivo, was investigated. Doses of 25, 50, 100 and 200 mug/ml were tested in vitro and cells with chromosome breakage were found to be dose dependent. Chromosome damage was also dependent on time; maximum damage was seen when cells were treated 2--6 hrs before harvest. Two doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg were studied in rat and mouse in vivo and a dose effect could be shown in both species. The highest number of abnormal cells was found 6 hrs after treatment; there was a sharp decrease at 18 hrs and thereafer. Types of aberrations were also analyzed, in both in vitro and in vivo studies. | 11 |
Current status of chairpersons in physical medicine and rehabilitation. There are currently 77 academic departments, divisions or units of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) in the United States. The authors conducted a survey to develop a profile of the current chairpersons of PM&R, as well as to assess the short- and long-term needs of the field. The survey addressed basic demographic information as well as the level of formal training and/or experience in various management, patient care and academic areas. The level of satisfaction with various aspects of the position such as workload, relationship with the university and role as a researcher were also measured. The chairpersons were asked when they plan to vacate their position and if they felt there were any members of their faculty who are qualified and ready to assume a chairperson position. Those that identified a qualified individual were then asked whether the person had formal training and/or experience in the various management, patient care and academic areas. The results indicate that, although the chairpersons have a high level of job satisfaction with respect to the challenge of the position and their administrative and supervisory roles, they are least satisfied with their role as a researcher. The field must be concerned with this finding, because academic PM&R units in the United States will experience a substantial change in leadership by the end of the 20th century. Approximately 39% of the current chairpersons who returned the questionnaire are planning to step down by 1999, with an additional 37% unsure when they will vacate the position.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) | 16 |
Does hydrogen peroxide exist "free" in biological systems? Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can diffuse far from the site of production to intracellular locations where biological effects may be greater. The diffusion range is extended by H2O2 carriers formed spontaneously by hydrogen bonding with monomeric and polymeric compounds, including amino and dicarboxylic acids, peptides, proteins, nucleic acid bases, and nucleosides. Hydrogen peroxide adducts (HPAs) are readily synthesized, e.g., crystalline histidine (His)-H2O2 adducts. An equilibrium exists between an adduct-forming compound and H2O2. The detection and relative stabilities of HPAs are measured by the degree of decomposition of H2O2 as influenced by test compounds in buffered solution competing with glucose or fructose for H2O2. The HPAs delay decomposition of H2O2 up to several hundredfold. The overall charge on an HPA, i.e., its ability to penetrate cell membranes, influences the cytotoxic and clastogenic effects of H2O2. Growth inhibition of Salmonella typhimurium LT2 by H2O2 is enhanced by neutral HPAs but decreased by anionic HPAs. Addition of catalase 1, 10, or 30 min after inoculation of S. typhimurium LT2 reduces or nearly eliminates partial growth inhibition by H2O2, but a neutral HPA, especially His-H2O2, transported H2O2 into the cells within 1 min, and in about 10 min completely inhibited growth. The stability of HPAs decreases with increasing pH or increasing temperature, while added Fe(II) in the presence and absence of EDTA accelerates H2O2 and HPA decomposition. Calculations indicate H2O2 hydrogen bonds with nucleic acid-base pairs with no apparent bond strain and energy stabilization comparable to normal hydrogen bonding. | 17 |
Urinary excretion of S-benzylmercapturic acid as an indicator of N-nitroso-N-methylbenzylamine exposure. The excretion of S-benzylmercapturic acid (SBzMA) in the urine of rats treated with N-nitroso-N-methylbenzylamine (NMBzA) was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The identity of SBzMA in the urine was confirmed by full scan GC-MS. The amount of urinary SBzMA varied with the dose of NMBzA (up to 5 mg/kg) and with rat strain. For the three strains investigated, most of a 2.5 mg/kg dose of SBzMA was excreted within 24 h. Comparison of the levels of this SBzMA excreted by rats treated with equivalent doses of either NMBzA or benzaldehyde indicates that urinary SBzMA is derived mainly from benzylating species resulting from the hydroxylation of the methyl group of NMBzA. | 16 |
Prevalence of hepatitis B and C and HIV antibodies in children in a Romanian orphanage. Two hundred and fifteen children in an orphanage in Romania were examined for serum markers of present or past hepatitis B and C virus and HIV infection. In total, 183 children (85.1%) had at least one marker (HBsAg, anti-HBs or anti-HBc) of hepatitis B virus infection. An HBsAg carrier state was diagnosed in 38 (20.8%) of the infected children. Among the carriers 24.3% were HBeAg carriers, 51.4% had anti-HBe and 24.3% had neither HBe antigen nor antibody. Nine children (4.2%) had antibodies to hepatitis C virus. All sera were negative in tests for HIV antibodies. False-positive reactions represented a considerable problem with these sera. Six percent of the sera gave false-positive reactions in indirect ELISA tests for hepatitis C and HIV. Sera giving false-positive reactions had rather high serum IgG levels. The results of this study indicate that these children have been heavily exposed to hepatitis B virus and to a certain degree to hepatitis C virus, while there were no cases of HIV infection in this orphanage. | 11 |
A study of the central auditory processes in stutterers using the Synthetic Sentence Identification (SSI) Test battery. The performance of a group of stutters (N = 14) and a group of nonstutterers (N = 14) was compared on the Synthetic Sentence Identification Test (Speaks and Jerger, 1965). The test is designed to assess central auditory function. It was hypothesized that because of subtle neurologically based differences in perceptual processing, the performance of the two groups would differ significantly on one or more of the subtests. An analysis of variance revealed that the performance of the stuttering group was significantly poorer (0.01 level of confidence) than that of the nonstutteres on the Ipsilateral Competing Message Subtest. The results of the investigation were compatible with other studies that suggest a neurological dysfunction within the central auditory apparatus as at least one of the underlying causes of disfluency. It was concluded that further investigations of the central auditory processes in stutterers are warranted to make a more definitive statement about the etiology of stuttering. | 17 |
Aequorin-detected calcium changes in stimulated thrombasthenic platelets. Aggregation-dependent calcium movement in response to ADP. Calcium changes in normal and thrombasthenic platelets were recorded using the PICA-apparatus. Aequorin was loaded in the presence of DMSO, EGTA and PGE1. Platelets of three patients with type I thrombasthenia stimulated with A-23, 187, thrombin, PMA in the presence 1 mM Ca++ and 1 mM Mg++ were able to normally raise their calcium concentrations. The maximal values could be found below the normal range with collagen, ADP and PAF-acether. Calcium mobilization from internal stores in response to thrombin was normal. There were two calcium peaks in normal platelets stimulated with ADP. The second one was suppressed by omitting fibrinogen, stirring, or by adding aspirin, and was absent in thrombasthenic platelets. Thus the GP IIb-IIIa complex is not a prerequisite for calcium fluxes but is involved, when weak agonists such ADP are used, through an aggregation-dependent reinforcement of platelet activation. | 12 |
Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy with subcutaneous access and the use of Gianturco stents for the management of biliary tract strictures. The need to control recurrent biliary strictures implies the practice of repeated major surgical procedures. The hepaticojejunostomy with subcutaneous jejunal access (Chen's procedure) allows the permanent option of a non-operative management of recurrent biliary tract anastomosis complications. Through the subcutaneous jejunal access, the application of a Gianturco metallic prosthesis is permitted and the correction of biliary-intestinal anastomosis strictures with non-operative methods is possible. This report is a review of a series of 20 patients treated with the Chen procedure, of whom 3 patients also had implantation of Gianturco stents via hepaticojejunostomy with subcutaneous access. | 19 |
Quantum chemical studies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their metabolites: correlations to carcinogenicity. In the context of the bay region hypothesis for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) carcinogenesis, molecular properties were calculated for seventeen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons related to (1) intrinsic substrate reactivities towards activating and detoxifying metabolism and (2) the stabilities of the putative carbocation ultimate carcinogens. All-valence electron methods were used, avoiding the inherent difficulties found in the pi-electron methods. The calculated substrate reactivities were found to predict major metabolites successfully, supporting the validity of their use in attempted correlations with observed carcinogenic potencies. Positive correlations were found between observed carcinogenic potencies and (1) the reactivities of the parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons towards the initial distal bay region epoxidation and (2) the stabilities of the diol epoxide carbocations. The reactivities of the distal bay region diol epoxides, were high for both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic compounds, implying that the second epoxidation does not determine relative carcinogenic activity. Support for a possible alternative hypothesis, that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are activated by one electron oxidation, was also found. | 24 |
Amino acid uptake regulation by cell growth in cultured hepatocytes isolated from fetal and adult rats. Amino acid uptake mediated by system A was studied in cultured fetal and adult hepatocytes, subjected to growth stimulation by EGF and insulin, or to growth inhibition by high cell density. The mitogenic stimulation induced a strong transport increase only in fetal cells, while the cell density-dependent growth inhibition, probably mediated by molecules present on adult hepatocyte membranes, provoked the decrease of amino acid uptake only in the adult cells. The results indicate that the different modulation of amino acid transport by cell growth is dependent on the age and the differentiation stage of hepatocytes. | 20 |
Nucleotide sequence at the 5' end of ovalbumin messenger RNA from chicken. DNA-sequence analysis of 300 nucleotides from the region of cloned, double-stranded ovalbumin cDNA corresponding to the 5' end of ovalbumin messenger RNA was accomplished using the technique of Maxam and Gilbert (Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA (1977) 74,560-564). The AUG initiation codon was located 52 nucleotides from the AT linkers used in cloning and immediately adjacent to the amino terminal peptide of ovalbumin, indicating the absence of a "signal peptide" in this protein. The nucleotide sequence coding for a phosphorylated peptide from ovalbumin was also found. These results demonstrate that the coding portion of mRNAov begins near the 5' end of the molecule leaving some 600 nucleotides of noncoding information at the 3' end. | 11 |
Multiple unit activity patterns of neuronal populations in gonadotropic areas of the quail hypothalamus: spontaneous and photically-induced firing. Multiple-unit activity (MUA) was obtained from neuronal pools in the gonadotropic hypothalamus of quails. A special device allowed for exploration of various hypothalamic structures in unanesthetized birds. All recording sessions were made in the dark. Spontaneous and flash light-evoked MUAs were recorded from both tuberal and dorsal gonadotropic areas, either in the morning or in the afternoon, and were compared to extragonadotropic firing patterns. Firing rates (spikes/10 sec) and integrated MUA (200 addresses) provided distinctive spontaneous neuronal activities for various cell clusters. These spontaneous salient features appeared to be changeable throughout the photoperiod. Flash stimulations resulted in a marked increase in MUA recorded from the gonadotropic regions of the hypothalamus. | 15 |
Depression, problem-solving ability, and problem-solving appraisals. Behavioral analytic methods were used to create a college student version of the Means Ends Problem Solving Procedure (MEPS). This instrument then was administered with measures of perceived problem-solving ability to depressed and nondepressed students to determine whether differences exist in both problem-solving ability and problem-solving appraisal. Analyses revealed that depressed subjects had more negative expectations and lower appraisals of their problem-solving ability. However, the groups did not differ in terms of the actual quality of their behavioral solutions to interpersonal, intrapersonal, and emotional problem situations. The results are interpreted as support for the role of cognitive factors in depression and problem-solving across a range of problem-solving situations. | 17 |
[Drug-induced acute arterial occlusion]. An acute ischemia has almost its origin in a mechanical obstruction of the vessel caused by embolus, thrombose or dissection. An ischemia caused by medicament, excepted the erronated intraarterial injection of vasoconstrictive medicament, is very seldom encountered in the clinic. We describe the case of a young woman who was referred to our clinic for investigation and treatment of an acute ischemia of both limbs. In her past medical history she was treated because of a liver insufficiency occurring after a spontaneous abortion and received methylergometrine (Methergin) for uterine stimulation. Because of this unusual manifestation in a young patient with a complicated past medical history we considered the possibility of a drug induced ischemia caused by ergotamine-derivate. The rapid recovering after treatment with chlorpromazine and nifedipine confirmed the suspected diagnosis. A well defined therapy of this rare complication has not been described; vasodilatators, nitroglycerin, calcium-antagonists and even streptokinase and balloon dilatation are proposed. | 18 |
Heparanase activity expressed by platelets, neutrophils, and lymphoma cells releases active fibroblast growth factor from extracellular matrix. Incubation of platelets, neutrophils, and lymphoma cells with Descemet's membranes of bovine corneas and with the extracellular matrix (ECM) produced by cultured corneal endothelial cells resulted in release of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), which stimulated the proliferation of 3T3 fibroblasts and vascular endothelial cells. Similar requirements were observed for release of endogenous bFGF stored in Descemet's membrane and of exogenous bFGF sequestered by the subendothelial ECM. Release of ECM-resident bFGF by platelets, neutrophils, and lymphoma cells was inhibited by carrageenan lambda, but not by protease inhibitors, in correlation with the inhibition of heparanase activity expressed by these cells. Degradation of the ECM-heparan sulfate side chains by this endo-beta-D-glucuronidase is thought to play an important role in cell invasion, particularly in the extravasation of blood-borne tumor cells and activated cells of the immune system. We propose that both heparanase and ECM-resident bFGF may modulate the cell response to contact with its local environment. Heparanase-mediated release of active bFGF from storage in basement membranes provides a novel mechanism for a localized induction of neovascularization in various normal and pathological processes, such as wound healing, inflammation, and tumor development. | 22 |
Relative effectiveness of some compounds for the control of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Several procedures which have been reported as effective for the control of cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity were compared in the Sprague-Dawley rat using the same dose of cisplatin. The treatments examined were based on the use of sodium thiosulfate, sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC), glutathione (GSH), sodium N-methyl-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate (NaG) and S-2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethylphosphorothioic acid (WR-2721). The differences in the effectiveness of the procedures were assessed using BUN and serum creatinine values, histopathological examination, body weight changes, and renal platinum levels as indices. The effect of such treatments on the antineoplastic activity of cisplatin were examined with both the Walker 256 carcinosarcoma in the rat and the L1210 murine leukemia in mice. Under the conditions used, GSH was found to be more effective than the other nucleophiles in protecting against the nephrotoxicity of cisplatin while providing the least amount of interference with the antitumor activity as measured against the Walker 256 carcinosarcoma and the L1210 murine leukemia. Simultaneous i.v. administration of cisplatin and any of the sulfur-containing nucleophiles leads to a significant protection against the nephrotoxicity but reduced the anti-neoplastic activity of cisplatin when measured against the Walker 256 carcinosarcoma. | 19 |
Antiproliferative activity of L-asparaginase of Tetrahymena pyriformis on human breast cancer cell lines. Purified L-asparaginase of Tetrahymena pyriformis is a multi-subunit enzyme exhibiting protein kinase activity as well. The enzyme's L-asparaginase activity is affected by its phosphorylation state. Both native and dephosphorylated L-asparaginase show antiproliferative activity on three breast cancer cell lines (T47D, BT20 and MCF-7) and on Walker 256 cells. These cells do not possess measurable L-asparaginase or L-asparagine synthetase activity. When T47D cells are treated for different times with L-asparaginase and then placed in fresh medium, the growth of cells treated for 1, 3, or 6 hours is initiated and parallels control curve, while the growth of cells treated for 24 or 48 hours with L-asparaginase stays at the same inhibitory level (24 h treatment) or continues to drop (48 h treatment). Addition of D-asparagine, a competitive inhibitor of T. pyriformis L-asparaginase, counteracts the antiproliferative activity of L-asparaginase, indicating that L-asparaginase and not the kinase activity is responsible for that effect. | 17 |
Detection of both mutant and wild-type p53 protein in normal skin fibroblasts and demonstration of a shared 'second hit' on p53 in diverse tumors from a cancer-prone family with Li-Fraumeni syndrome. Germline transmission of mutant p53 gene in cancer-prone families with Li-Fraumeni syndrome has revealed a new role for p53 in the genetic predisposition to cancer. The studies reported here focus on the analysis of the expression of normal and mutant p53 RNA and protein in germline configuration and demonstrate that normal skin fibroblasts derived from members of a family with Li-Fraumeni syndrome express mutant p53Gly----Asp(245) protein and RNA at levels similar to the wild-type p53. Thus, these fibroblasts represent a unique biological system in which endogenous promoters are utilized for the expression of both mutant and normal p53. We have further extended the earlier observations on the analysis of mutant p53 with a limited number of tumors derived from individuals with Li-Fraumeni syndrome. Tumors arising from two different germ layers in four individuals in a single family clearly exhibited the loss of the wild-type allele and the retention of the mutant allele observed in the normal skin fibroblasts derived from the same individuals. These observations further support the notion that germline p53 mutation plays a key role in the tumorigenesis of individuals with Li-Fraumeni syndrome. | 20 |
Therapeutic results and prognostic predictors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Cox regression analysis. Determining the current status of therapeutic results of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and identifying the important clinical predictors of survival and relapse are essential for establishing therapeutic strategies. Sixty-two children with ALL who were admitted to Chonnam University Hospital from January 1983 to June 1991 were studied. With a mean follow-up period of 53.7 months, the overall 5-year survival rate (5YSR) was 46.1%. The overall rate of 5-year event-free survival (EFS) was 25.4% and significantly differed between risk groups: 48.7% for standard, 16.3% for high, and 12.5% for very high (p < .05). Overall 4-year survival after initial relapse was 34.2% and there was no significant difference in survival between those who relapsed during maintenance therapy and those who relapsed after completing maintenance. The Cox proportional hazards model identified central nervous system (CNS) irradiation (P < 0.001) as having the most important influence upon EFS, followed by serum alanine aminotransferase level, platelet level, and age. On the other hand, CNS leukemia at diagnosis, followed by mediastinal mass, and hemoglobin level were found to be the most important prognostic predictors for relapse. On the basis that present results differ from those of developed countries, we suggest the necessity of a nation-wide cohort study to delineate the characteristics of Korean ALL in children, to make our own protocols, and ultimately to improve the therapeutic outcome. | 18 |
[Advantages and disadvantages of insulin therapy in elderly diabetics with asymptomatic hyperglycemia]. 15 elderly diabetic patients with fasting blood glucose levels above 160 mg/100 ml, without hyperglycemic symptoms and previously treated with oral antidiabetic agents, were put on insulin. The change of treatment regimen was made in the outpatient department. Frequent clinical and laboratory controls were performed and the patients were given full instructions for injection technique and diet. On the insulin regimen a prompt and lasting improvement was observed in the metabolic parameters (blood glucose levels both fasting and after food intake, Hb A1c, serum insulin, glucagon and serum lipid concentrations). The so-called "asymptomatic" patients noticed a marked improvement in their general status and performance. Three months after insulin therapy was started 13 of our 15 patients preferred the insulin treatment to oral agents. However, weight gain and a tendency to hypoglycemia were noticed in less disciplined patients. In addition, considerable time was spent on instruction of the patients. Bearing these factors in mind, insulin therapy in elderly diabetics with so-called "sysmptomatic hyperglycemia" can be regarded as worthwhile. | 16 |
Effect of two regimens of intravenous amino acid infusion on renal haemodynamics, renal tubular function and sodium and water homeostatic hormones in healthy humans. The effect of two different regimens of intravenous infusion of amino acids on glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal plasma flow (RPF), tubular sodium and water handling judged from the clearance of lithium (CLi), and plasma concentrations of angiotensin II (Ang II), aldosterone (Aldo), arginine vasopressin (AVP), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), growth hormone (GH), and glucagon was investigated in healthy humans. In the first protocol (n = 11) the infusion lasted 90 min; both GFR and RPF increased significantly (median increase 7.1% and 9.1% respectively, P less than 0.05 both). In the second protocol (n = 13) the infusion lasted 30 min; both GFR and RPF tended to increase (median increase 3.5% and 7.4%) but the change did not reach significance. The changes in tubular sodium and water handling were similar in the two protocols. Absolute reabsorption rates in the proximal tubules were unaltered, resulting in an increased output into the distal tubules that was totally compensated for by an increased distal reabsorption. Thus no changes in urinary excretion of sodium and water were observed. Ang II, Aldo, AVP, ANP and GH were unchanged by amino acid infusion, but glucagon increased. It is suggested that the alterations in renal haemodynamics and distal tubular reabsorption may be mediated by glucagon. | 18 |
Genu recurvatum following distal epiphysiodesis of the femur: X-ray evaluation and therapeutical approach. Acquired genu recurvatum may have bone, capsulo-ligamentous or combined origins. It may affect the tibia or femur and various etiologies are possible. However, its pathogenesis is often linked to partial anterior epiphysiodesis following traumatic damage to the femoral or tibial growth plate. In this study we examine femoral recurvatum, a form which occurs only rarely. The clinical and radiographic characteristics are described in depth and the surgical indications for correction of this deformity are defined. Radiographic examination was used to complete the goniometry of the recurvatum deformity by calculating the dia-intercondylar angle, measureable on lateral radiographs of the knee. The normal value is 33 degrees (+/- 3 degrees) while in the patients with femoral recurvatum it was noticeably higher. In cases of isolated femoral recurvatum we carried out a supra-condylar osteotomy with removal of a bone wedge aimed at normalizing the dia-intercondylar angle. In the cases treated at our Centre, the objective, subjective, functional and radiographic results were good, with a mean follow-up of 6 years. as well as completing the goniometry of the recurvatum, the dia-intercondylar angle makes it possible to draw up a correct pre-operative plan, enabling precise surgical correction to be carried out. | 16 |
Membrane structural specialization of the toad urinary bladder revealed by the freeze-fracture technique. III. Location, structure and vasopressin dependence of intramembrane particle arrays. Examination of the toad urinary bladder by freeze-fracture electron microscopy reveals intramembrane particle arrays at a number of membrane sites. An array in which particles are aggregated into closely apposed parallel rows is found in the granular cell luminal membrane of dehydrated toads fixed in situ. These aggregates are structurally indistinguishable from those previously associated with vasopressin exposure in vitro. Aggregates are not found in granular cell luminal membrane in the case of hydrated toads fixed in situ. However, structurally similar arrays are found at low frequency in the membrane of cytoplasmic vacuoles in granular cells and in the plasma membrane of basal cells in both hydrated and dehydrated toads. Aggregates are also present at these sites in control and vasopressin-treated bladders from in vitro experiments. Particle arrays characteristic of gap junctions, desmosomes and hemidesmosomes also occur in the plasma membrane of basal cells. In addition, distinctive square arrays of particles exist in the plasma membrane of the bladder's mesothelium. Although a variety of intramembrane particle arrays exist in the toad urinary bladder, only the occurrence of organized particle aggregates in the luminal membrane of granular cells appears to be associated with vasopressin exposure. | 15 |
Phase variation of lipopolysaccharide in Haemophilus influenzae. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structures on Haemophilus influenzae, defined by monoclonal antibodies, can show phase variation from generation to generation. Several genetic loci are involved in LPS biosynthesis by H. influenzae. In this paper, we describe three loci which play a role in LPS phase variation: the lic loci; lic1 and lic3 have been sequenced and lic2 has been partially sequenced. Each locus consists of multiple open reading frames (ORF), and each contains a repetitive sequence within the 5' end of the first ORF which may be involved in the phase variability. Genes within lic1 and lic2 are directly involved in the expression of phase-variable epitopes, but the role of genes within lic3 is at a more complex level. | 15 |
Genetic and clinical correlations of Xp21 muscular dystrophy. We have investigated over 100 patients with Xp21 muscular dystrophy, drawing together the results of detailed clinical, genetic and dystrophin investigations. A spectrum of disease severity was confirmed, with the most homogeneous clinical groups being at either end of the spectrum, represented by the typical Duchenne and Becker phenotypes. The groups in between showed clinical heterogeneity, and variability in the genetic and dystrophin results. While an out-of-frame deletion in association with undetectable dystrophin is most likely to predict the most severe phenotype, and increasing abundance of dystrophin is associated generally with a milder clinical course, no value of dystrophin abundance reliably predicts a particular phenotype. However, deletions of the dystrophin gene involving exons 45-47 and 45-48 especially do seem to be consistently associated with the mildest Becker phenotype. Additional factors must play a role in determining the exact clinical course. | 18 |
A review of small canned computer programs for survey research and demographic analysis. A variety of small canned computer programs for survey research and demographic analysis appropriate for use in developing countries are reviewed in this article. The programs discussed are SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences); CENTS, CO-CENTS, CENTS-AID, CENTS-AIE II; MINI-TAB EDIT, FREQUENCIES, TABLES, REGRESSION, CLIENT RECORD, DATES, MULT, LIFE, and PREGNANCY HISTORY; FIVFIV and SINSIN; DCL (Demographic Computer Library); MINI-TAB Population Projection, Functional Population Projection, and Family Planning Target Projection. A description and evaluation for each program of uses, instruction manuals, computer requirements, and procedures for obtaining manuals and programs are provided. Such information is intended to facilitate and encourage the use of the computer by data processors in developing countries. | 19 |
Isolation of Pasteurellaceae from bovine abortions. A 2-year study was conducted to determine the incidence of Pasteurellaceae in abortion samples submitted for diagnostic evaluation. A total of 687 cases, including 623 with fetal tissues and/or stomach contents and 302 with placenta and/or uterine discharge, were evaluated. Pasteurellaceae were isolated on a nonselective medium from 9 (1.5%), 14 (2.8%), 13 (12.1%), and 42 (17.4%) of the fetal tissues, stomach contents, uterine discharges, and placentas, respectively. A total of 35 (19.9%) of 176 placental samples cultured on both a selective medium for Pasteurellaceae and a nonselective medium were positive for Pasteurellaceae. Fifteen (42.9%) of these isolates were detected only on the selective medium, whereas 5 (14.2%) were detected only on the nonselective medium and 15 (42.9%) grew on both media. Placentitis of different severity was evident in 13 (68.4%) of the 19 placentas from which Pasteurellaceae were isolated in the absence of other known abortifacient agents. | 16 |
Increased expression of pp60c-src protein-tyrosine kinase during peripheral nerve regeneration. Since little is known about the intracellular changes that take place in response to Schwann cell-neuron interactions that occur during neurite outgrowth and myelination, we investigated the expression of a protein-tyrosine kinase, pp60c-src, during peripheral nerve regeneration through a silicone tube. Segments of regenerated nerve, extracted at various times following nerve-transection, showed an induction of in vitro c-src kinase activity as measured by autophosphorylation of immunoprecipitated pp60c-src. This activity occurred at 7 days following nerve transection coincident with the onset of neurite outgrowth in vivo. This kinase activity, which peaked out between 21 and 35 days and decreased thereafter, appeared to be associated with axonal growth and myelination, but not mitogenesis in the tube. Analysis of c-src proteins levels by Western blot showed a similar expression profile as that of the kinase activity. Qualitatively, the expression of an immunoreactive c-src band, migrating slightly slower than pp60, was detected in extracts of regenerating nerve segments as well as in the corresponding L4 and L5 dorsal root ganglia. This protein may be the CNS neuronal-specific form (pp60+) of the c-src protein. In situ hybridization revealed that Schwann cells and sensory and motor neurons associated with the regenerated sciatic nerve were positive for c-src mRNA during regeneration possibly accounting for the increased src protein expression during regeneration. Since the increased expression of pp60c-src in regenerated nerve segments coincides with both axonal sprouting and myelination, our findings suggest that the c-src protein may play a role in Schwann cell-neuron interactions which facilitate the occurrence of these events during regeneration. In addition, although pp60+ is generally not detectable in the mature PNS, our findings show that this protein may be induced during conditions of PNS differentiation which promote neurite outgrowth. | 19 |
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