Paediatric pyogenic granuloma presenting as a unilateral nasal polyp

The 42/43-residue amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) is widely believed to play a major role in Alzheimer's disease. The present study shows that the rat brain contains a carboxypeptidase that efficiently deletes three amino acids from Abeta1-43. The carboxypeptidase activity in the brain was completely inhibited by 1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, suggesting the protease is a serine carboxypeptidase. The carboxy-terminal truncation of Abeta1-43 was moderately inhibited by carbobenzoxy-Leu-leucinal, carbobenzoxy-Leu-Leu-leucinal, and carbobenzoxy-Leu-Leu-norvalinal, and weakly by antipain. The present data suggest that the serine carboxypeptidase contributes to the generation of short-tailed Abeta peptides and is important in the intracellular clearance of Abeta1-42/43 in brains.     

Sinonasal lymphoma presenting as a lethal midline granuloma: case report

Escherichia coli cells engineered to express an Hg2+ transport system and metallothionein accumulated Hg2+ effectively over a concentration range of 0.2-4 mg/L in batch systems. Bioaccumulation was selective against other metal ions and resistant to changes in ambient conditions such as pH, ionic strength, and the presence of common metal chelators or complexing agents (Chen, S.-L.; Wilson, D. B. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 1997, 63, 2442-2445; Biodegradation 1997, 8, 97-103). Here we report the characterization of the bioaccumulation system based on its kinetics and an isotherm. Bioaccumulation was rapid and followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics. A hollow fiber bioreactor was constructed to retain the genetically engineered cells. The bioreactor was capable of removing and recovering Hg2+ effectively at low concentrations, reducing a 2 mg/L solution to about 5 microgram/L. A mathematical equation that quantitatively described Hg2+ removal by the bioreactor provides a basis for the optimization and extrapolation of the bioreactor. The genetically engineered E. colicells and the bioreactor system have excellent properties for bioremediation of Hg2+-contaminated environments.     

Emotion-focused coping as a mediator of maternal cocaine abuse and antisocial behavior.

A great deal of data implicate parental drug use as a potential risk factor for child abuse, however, theories for understanding the links between maternal drug use and antisocial behavior have yet to be examined empirically. This case-control study investigated correlates of adult antisocial behavior among 279 inner-city mothers in 3 comparison groups: drug abusers, (n = 112), depressed mothers (n = 73), and nonsubstance abusing controls (n = 94). Using hierarchical regression techniques and mediational analyses controlling for ethnicity, current depression, and family history of substance abuse, support was provided for an emotion-focused coping style as a link between addictive and antisocial behavior. These results highlight the importance of focusing on emotion regulation models in the prevention and treatment of violence in drug-abusing women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cholesterol granuloma of the breast presenting as an intracystic papilloma

Cholesterol granuloma of the breast is a rare benign condition. It is often clinically and radiologically indistinguishable from breast carcinoma. A case of cholesterol granuloma which manifested as an intracystic papilloma on ultrasound is described. This unusual ultrasonographic appearance has not previously been reported.     

Neurochemical and behavioral evidence supporting (+)-AJ 76 as a potential pharmacotherapy for cocaine abuse

In vivo microvoltammetry was used to detect synaptic concentrations of dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) from nucleus accumbens (NAcc) in awake, freely moving, male, Sprague Dawley laboratory rats, while their locomotor behavior was monitored, simultaneously, in an open-field paradigm; the purpose was to evaluate the pharmacology of the D3-preferring, dopamine (DA) autoreceptor antagonist, (+)-AJ 76 [cis-(+)-1S, 2R-5-methoxy-1-methyl-2-(n-propylamino)-tetralin HCL] and its potential use as a pharmacotherapy for cocaine abuse. Results showed that (1). (+)-AJ 76 significantly increased synaptic concentration of DA above baseline (p < 0.001); a small but significant decrease in synaptic concentration of 5-HT was seen (p < 0.001), although a significant increase occurred during the time course, at the 20 minute mark (p < 0.05). Analysis of the two hour data also showed that both locomotor and central locomotor activity were not affected; however, temporally related increases in both behaviors were significant at 10, 20 and 30 minutes (p < 0.05). In a second and separate study, (2). cocaine increased synaptic concentrations of DA (p < 0.001) and 5-HT (p < 0.001), and locomotor activity (p < 0.001) above baseline, but central locomotion was not affected, except for specific temporal enhancements at 10, 20, 30, 50, 60 and 90 min. (p < 0.05). In a third and separate study, (3). an (+)-AJ 76/cocaine study, (+)-AJ 76 was administered five minutes before cocaine. The results showed that synaptic DA concentration was significantly increased over baseline values (p < 0.001) but that synaptic DA was lower than cocaine-induced synaptic DA (p < 0.001). No significant difference in synaptic 5-HT occurred after (+)-AJ 76/cocaine treatment, but temporally related increases over baseline occurred from 10 to 40 min. (p < 0.05). Synaptic 5-HT concentrations after (+)-AJ 76/cocaine were not significantly different from those induced by cocaine per se. (+)-AJ 76/cocaine treatment significantly increased locomotor activity (p < 0.001); central locomotor behavior was not affected, however, time course data showed significant increases at 10, 20, 40, 50 and 80 min. (p < 0.05). The major finding from the present studies, is that +(-) AJ 76/cocaine treatment produced synaptic concentrations of DA from NAcc which were lower than those due to cocaine per se, while no differential effect on synaptic 5-HT concentration, locomotor or central locomotor behavior occurred. Therefore, these data support the hypothesis that (+)-AJ 76 may be useful for the treatment of cocaine addiction or abuse.     

Initial analyses of naltriben, a delta opioid receptor antagonist, as a putative medicine for treating cocaine abuse.

The authors explored naltriben's (NTB, a delta opioid antagonist) potential to be a pharmacotherapy for cocaine abuse. NTB (3–6 mg/kg) reduced rats' (Rattus norvegicus) intravenous, self-administration of cocaine, daily, across 5 days. NTB did not, however, interfere with rats' pressing for water. NTB (3 mg/kg) blocked cocaine's facilitation of pressing for brain stimulation, daily, for 5 days. As doses of NTB were explored, it was found that 10 mg/kg of NTB was lethal for about one third of the rats. Smaller doses (e.g., 3 mg/kg) gave some indications of toxicity as indexed by NTB's tendency to reduce pressing for brain stimulation by itself. NTB (3 mg/kg) induced a mild conditioned taste aversion but had no negative effects on rats' ability to learn and remember a sequence of mazes. Taken together, these results lead to the suggestion that opioidergic processes play an important role in mediating cocaine's reinforcement. Although NTB may not be the ideal opioid antagonist for treating people, it has many positive properties supporting further investigation of opioid antagonists as agents for treating cocaine addiction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rosai-Dorfman disease presenting as a meningioma

This report documents an unusal case of extranodal sinus histiocytosis (Rosai-Dorfman disease) which produced a solitary intracranial mass lesion that was diagnosed clinically and radiologically as a meningioma. Morphological features have been described and literature extensively reviewed.     

Pseudolymphoma presenting as a cecal tumor

A 7-yr-old with abdominal pain and melena had a barium enema which revealed a cecal lesion that proved to be a pseudolymphoma of the cecum and appendix--a site not previously reported.     

Tuberculosis presenting as a solitary splenic tumour

The authors presented a case of ethmoid glioma which had performed as nasal polyp. They also discussed about problems of classification and treatment this type of neoplasm.     

Secondary syphilis presenting as a pruritic dermatosis

Three patients had secondary syphilis with severely pruritic skin lesions. This presentation contradicts several modern medical texts in which the lesions of secondary syphilis are described as nonpruitic.     

Lymphoma presenting as a solitary bone lesion

Newly born infants (n = 15) were monitored for 6 months after birth or for longer periods to evaluate the changes in isotopic composition and lead concentration in infants as compared with that in women from the same population groups and to determine the clearance rates of lead from blood in the infants. These data represent the first published results for serial blood sampling in a relatively large cohort of newly born infants. Blood lead concentrations decrease from the cord to samples taken at 60 to 90 days and then increase by amounts varying from negligible to 166%. In spite of concern about individual susceptibility to lead pharmacokinetics, changes in isotopic ratio followed a smooth decrease over time for 9 of the 11 infants born to migrant parents, and the patterns of variation were quite reproducible. Data for 2 of 4 infants born to multigenerational Australian parents exhibited little change in isotopic ratio over time, and in the other two cases, the changes were attributed to diet. The rate of exchange (t1/2) for the migrant infants of lead in blood derived from the mother during pregnancy and the lead from the current environment was calculated by using a linear function and ranged from 65 to 131 (91+/-19, mean+/-SD) days. The half-lives for the exchange of skeletal and environmental lead for 7 of the 8 women before significant mobilization of lead from the maternal skeleton ranged from 50 to 66 (59+/-6) days. One explanation for the longer half-lives for infants as compared with the mothers may be the proportionally higher contribution of current environmental (Australian) lead in the infants at parturition. Exchanges of lead in infants are more complex than for the adults, reflecting inputs from sources such as maternal skeletal lead during breast feeding.