Endometrial effects during hormone replacement therapy with a sequential oestradiol valerate/cyproterone acetate preparation

Different stages of thymus morphogenesis and thymocyte differentiation have been studied at the ultrastructural level in the lizard, Chalcides ocellatus. On stage 36 of embryonic development, the thymus primordium was composed principally of undifferentiated epithelial cells and some lymphoid stem-cells. From stage 37 to 38, the lymphoid stem-cells differentiate into lymphoblasts and then transform into typical lymphocytes. A clasmotosis phenomenon seems to be involved in this transformation. In the developing cortical regions, lymphoblasts accumulated rapidly, stretching the epithelial cells which become stellate in shape. From stage 39 to 40, a phase of intense proliferation occurs and numerous lymphocytes die in the thymic tissue and are phagocytosed by macrophages. On stage 41, the presence of interdigitating cells in the medullary area completed cortico-medullary differentiation. On neonatal and juvenile lizards, small cortical thymocytes differentiated and the thymus possessed all characteristic of an adult thymus. Thus, at birth, the histogenesis of the lizard thymus was achieved and the only further modification consisted in a gain of weight.     

Physicochemical properties of calcium phosphate coatings produced by pulsed laser deposition at different water vapour pressures

Conformational peculiarities of DNA complexes with histones of the H1 family have been studied by the method of circular dichroism (CD). The H1 histones were isolated from spermatozoa of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius, starfish Aphelasterias japonica, and bivalve mollusc Chlamis islandicus and also from the rat thymus. It is shown that these sperm-specific histones do not compact DNA in low ionic strength solution. At physiologic conditions H1 from the sea urchin and starfish sperms compact DNA more intensively than other histones. The H1 from rat thymus has a minimum ability to compact DNA. This histone does not change the structure of DNA double helix. It was supposed that it could be associated with interactions of this histone with DNA in the major groove of its helix. At the same time sperm-specific H1 can interact with DNA not only in the major groove but also in the minor groove, and this induces changes in DNA structure. This DNA-protein interaction is specific for the sperm chromatin and may support the supercompact organization of the sperm chromatin.     

Incubation temperatures affect adherence to plastic of Candida albicans by changing the cellular surface hydrophobicity

The influence of cellular surface hydrophobicity on the adherence capacity to plastic of Candida albicans was investigated at two culture temperatures (37 and 22 degrees C). The majority of the 42 strains studied were hydrophobic at 22 degrees C and hydrophilic at 36 degrees C. The hydrophobic cells showed a consistent adherence capacity which was absent from the hydrophilic strains. The culture temperatures affect adherence to plastic of C. albicans by changing the cellular surface hydrophobicity.     

Diagnostic methods and treatment modalities of dry eye conditions

One may view dry eye conditions as a group of diseases in which the ocular surface is adversely affected. Tear film instability invariably leads to some degree of cellular surface damage over the cornea and conjunctiva. In turn, ocular epitheliopathy may adversely affect tear film stability. The clinical presentation of the disease may not yield a clue as to its etiology. In recent years considerable progress was made both in the diagnosis and the treatment of the disease and promising studies are planned or are underway. The diagnostic techniques can be divided into four groups. The first is concerned with the clinical presentation. The second is concerned with the bulk properties of the aqueous tears including dynamic characteristics, composition, and colligative properties. The third is tear-film related and includes the film break-up time, evaporation rate, and lipid abnormality. The fourth is concerned with the ocular surface and includes vital staining, impression cytology, and surface microscopy. The most promising attempts are being made in the second group by attempting to elucidate the role of enzyme and enzyme activator activity and inhibitor contents as well as the tear protein profiles and correlating them with the specific disease states. The treatment modalities belong to three major groups aside from surgical intervention; the supplementation, preservation, and the stimulation of tears. The modern version of tear supplementation is expected to include the topical use of efficacious aqueous formulations that typically contain film stabilizing polymers, nutrients, and/or--in the future--biochemically active ingredients such as enzyme activators and inhibitors.     

Diagnosing community health by factorial analysis]

The electrophysiologic evaluation of patients with erectile dysfunction presents an important diagnostic challenge. The bulbocavernosus reflex (BCR) latency has been commonly used to evaluate these disorders. However, it is a measure of somatic penile innervation, whereas erection is primarily dependent on autonomic function. We evaluated 195 men with erectile dysfunction over a 3 year period. Each had electrophysiologic studies, nerve conduction studies and a BCR. BCR studies were abnormal in only 7%, of which most had diabetes or pelvic trauma. The BCR was the sole electrophysiologic abnormality in only 2%. Autonomic testing (AT) was additionally performed in 19 diabetic and 23 non-diabetic patients. This included sympathetic skin responses and measurement of the Valsalva ratio and heart rate variability with 6/min breathing. In the diabetic group, AT was positive in 63%, and most often was the sole abnormality. The bulbocavernosus reflex is relatively insensitive in the diagnosis of erectile dysfunction. Brief autonomic testing may provide valuable additional data, particularly in diabetics.     

Development of AIDS in a chimpanzee infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1

The condition of a chimpanzee (C499) infected with three different isolates of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) for over 10 years progressed to AIDS. Disease development in this animal was characterized by (i) a decline in CD4+ cells over the last 3 years; (ii) an increase in viral loads in plasma; (iii) the presence of a virus, termed HIV-1JC, which is cytopathic for chimpanzee peripheral blood mononuclear cells; and (iv) the presence of an opportunistic infection and blood dyscrasias. Genetic analysis of the V1-V2 region of the envelope gene of HIV-1JC showed that the virus present in C499 was significantly divergent from all inoculating viruses (> or = 16% divergent at the amino acid level) and was suggestive of a large quasispecies. Blood from C499 transfused into an uninfected chimpanzee (C455) induced a rapid and sustained CD4+-cell decline in the latter animal, concomitant with high plasma viral loads. These results show that HIV-1 can induce AIDS in chimpanzees and suggest that long-term passage of HIV-1 in chimpanzees can result in the development of a more pathogenic virus.     

Accuracy of localizing radiopaque markers by abdominal radiography and correlation between their gastric emptying rate and that of a canned food in dogs

OBJECTIVES: To determine accuracy of abdominal radiography in locating radiopaque markers in the gastrointestinal tract and to assess correlation between gastric emptying rate of radiopaque markers and that of canned food. ANIMALS: 17 healthy dogs. PROCEDURE: Dogs were fed thirty 1.5-mm markers and ten 5-mm markers mixed in sufficient food to meet 25% of their daily caloric intake. They were then euthanatized by administration of an overdose of barbiturate at 1, 2, 5, 8, or 12 hours after eating and the abdomen was radiographed. The stomach, small intestine, and large intestine were then separated and radiographed in isolation. The wet and dry weights of the stomach contents were determined. The apparent and actual locations of the markers and the gastric emptying rates of markers, wet matter, and dry matter were compared, using rank correlation. RESULTS: All comparisons indicated significant (P < 0.025), high correlation coefficients (> 0.92). The mean difference between the apparent and actual locations of the markers was < 3% for all comparisons. The mean difference between the percentage of small markers and large markers retained in the stomach and that of dry matter was 7.8 (SD, 6.2; range, 0 to 18%) and 11.9 (SD, 12.5; range, 0 to 44%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The gastric emptying and orocolic transit rates of the markers were accurately predicted by abdominal radiography. The gastric emptying rate of the diet and the small markers and, to a lesser extent, the large markers was closely correlated. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: When fed with a special canned food diet, radiopaque markers can be used to assess the gastric emptying rate of food with sufficient accuracy for clinical purposes.