Structure and properties of the cell nucleus chromatin in the brain of rats exposed to gamma-radiation]

Exposure of rats to radiation in a dose of 1 Gy changes sensitivity of chromatin in the cerebral cortex cells to the action of DNAase 1, which promotes an increase of the DNA hydrolysis level and content of dissolved chromatin fractions. A day after irradiation the chromatin structure restores only partially and then (7-30 days after irradiation) it passes into a new, less compact state. The irradiation changes the chromatin ability to aggregation in the presence of Mg2+ and spermidine.     

Is electrogastrography a substitute for manometric studies in children with functional gastrointestinal disorders?

We performed simultaneous fasting and fed antroduodenal manometry and EGG in 25 children with functional bowel disorders. Three patients (12%) had an uninterpretable EGG. The manometric studies showed severe neuropathy in six patients; milder neuropathic changes in five patients; postprandial hypomotility in one patient; myopathy in four patients, and normal motility in the remaining six patients. The percentage of tachygastria time (frequency > 3.5 cycles/min) was higher in the patiens with mild (44.1 +/- 15.8%) and severe (48 +/- 19.1%) neuropathy than in the patients with myopathy (20 +/- 16.2%, P < 0.05) or with normal motility (23 +/- 13.3%, P < 0.05). There was a considerable overlap in the percentage of tachygastria and total arrhythmia time among the different study groups. The ratio of post- to preprandial power was significantly higher (2.5 +/- 0.07) in children with normal motility than in the other patients groups. Every child with total arrhythmia time < 35% and a ratio of post- to preprandial power > 2.4 had normal manometry. In summary, EGG differentiated groups of children with normal manometry from others with neuropathic or myopathic changes, but in a minority of patients the study was not interpretable and there was overlap in EGG results between children with normal and abnormal manometry.     

Personalities and alimentary behaviors in obese patients

The ability of lonidamine (LND), an energolytic derivative of indazole-carboxylic acid, to modulate the cytotoxic activity of cisplatin (CDDP) and epidoxorubicin (EPI), singly or in combination, was investigated in two human breast cancer cell lines (MCF7 and T47D). A 72-hr post-incubation with a non-cytotoxic concentration of LND (75 microM) increased the activity of a 1-hr CDDP treatment as well as that of a 1 to 16-hr EPI treatment. A different pattern of interaction among the drugs and modulator was observed as a function of the sequence of drug treatment. Specifically, supra-additive or additive effects of the combination were obtained in the two cell lines according to the different treatment schemes. In particular, the maximum potentiation was observed in MCF7 cells simultaneously exposed to CDDP, EPI and LND for 1 hr and then post-incubated with LND for 72 hr, and in T47 first exposed to EPI and LND, then to CDDP and LND, and finally post-incubated with LND. Flow cytometric analysis of MCF7 cell distribution in the different cycle phases showed that combined treatment with EPI/CDDP/LND was able to stabilize cell cycle perturbations (mainly G2M accumulation) induced by individual agents. The ability of LND to potentiate CDDP and EPI cytotoxicity, and the consideration that LND causes side effects different from those caused by alkylating agents and anthracyclines, make this compound an attractive candidate for multidrug combination therapy in breast cancer.     

Iron catalyzes both decomposition and synthesis of S-nitrosothiols: optical and electron paramagnetic resonance studies

This paper discusses the issues of providing an empirically validated, manual-based-treatment when viewed from the perspective of a practicing clinical psychologist. The trend for empirically proven treatment is reviewed briefly, and initial data are provided illustrating a manual-based-treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a motor vehicle accident. The relatively brief (9-12 session) psychological treatment was effective in reducing PTSD symptoms as measured on the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale, for all 10 subjects. The results are discussed form the practicing clinician's perspective: generalization to a clinical population, ethical concerns of limited treatment goals, individually tailored vs standardized treatments in clinical practice, concerns for co-morbid conditions, and how this type of study might impact on practice in an era of managed health care. Issues of incorporating manual based treatments into clinical practice are discussed, with consideration of gains, the limits and the constraints this would bring to the practice of psychology.     

Receptors on chicken erythrocytes for F42 fimbriae of Escherichia coli isolated from pigs

Haemagglutination of purified F42 fimbriae was found to be inhibited by N-acetyl-galactosamine. Purified F42 fimbrial adhesin reacted with distinct membrane components from chicken erythrocytes (35, 37 and 40 kDa) in immunoblot analysis, suggesting that the binding occurred to proteins or glycoproteins.