Significance of a new type of human fetal hemoglobin carrying a replacement isoleucine replaced by threonine at position 75 )E 19) of the gamma chain

Mating speed of flies which have been aged either in the light, in the dark or in a light-and-dark cycle was measured using two strains, Rochester (R) and Salvador (S), of Drosophila mercatorum. A significant difference in mating tendency depending on the condition of pretreatment was found between R and S strains, while both strains showed a similar pattern of the diurnal rhythm in the light-and-dark cycle. Compared under the same conditions, S flies usually showed a higher mating speed than R flies. Mating speed seems to be affected by at least two different genetic systems. One of them is the genetic system determining absolute speed of mating. Another is the genetic system determining sensitivity to the environmental conditions. There may be considerable differentiation in both systems between R and S strains.     

Reevaluation of the linkage between acute hemorrhagic shock and bacterial translocation in the rat

The present study was undertaken to determine the conditions under which acute periods of hemorrhagic shock induce bacterial translocation. Rats (at least six per group) were anesthetized intraperitoneally with the barbiturate, pentobarbital (50 or 65 mg/kg), or the inhalation anesthetic methoxyflurane. Following anesthesia, the femoral artery was catheterized, from which blood was withdrawn to maintain a mean arterial blood pressure of 30 mmHg for 30, 60, or 90 min, followed by reinfusion of shed blood. Instrumented, but nonshocked animals served as controls. Rats were sacrificed at 0, 2, or 24 hr postshock, and quantitative bacterial cultures of the mesenteric lymph node complex (MLN), liver, and spleen were made. Within groups, the effects of heparinization were also determined. In pentobarbital-treated animals, regardless of the extent of heparinization, consistent translocation to both MLN and distant organs occurred when shock was prolonged for 90 min, and assessment of translocation was made 24 hr after reinfusion of shed blood. Furthermore, a mortality rate of approximately 30% was found in rats subjected to this protocol. The magnitude of translocation was less consistent, and did not differ from that in sham shock controls, under other conditions of shock and evaluation. In rats anesthetized with methoxyflurane, no mortality occurred, and no statistical significance between the incidence or degree of translocation in shocked animals vs. sham shock controls could be demonstrated, regardless of the shock protocol. In additional studies, effects of these anesthetics on intestinal morphology and superior mesenteric arterial (SMA) flow in the context of hemorrhagic shock were assessed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The effects of parental traumatic brain injury on the behaviour of parents and children

Little is known about the effects of a parent's brain injury and subsequent disabilities on the children in the family. This study examines 24 families in which one parent is brain injured. In each family the children were born before the parent's injury and still lived at home at the time of interview. Reports of the uninjured parent indicate that most of the children experienced some degree of negative behavioural change after the parent's injury. In 10 of the families, significant and problematic changes occurred. Types of problems included poor relationship with the injured parent, acting-out behaviour and emotional problems. Correlates of poor outcomes for the children were: (1) injured parent's gender, (2) compromised parenting performance of the injured parent, (3) compromised parenting performance of the uninjured parent and (4) depression in the uninjured parent. This study points to the importance of recognizing traumatic brain injury as a major family stressor.     

Occupational bronchial asthma

Examination of 400 patients with occupational bronchial asthma helped to identify various clinical and pathogenetic variants of the disease in accordance with independent and combined occupational allergens and irritants. The authors evaluated diagnostic value of endonasal tests with occupational allergen, rhinocytologic tests and some specific allergologic blood tests in vitro.     

Evidence for the existence of the beta-endorphin-sensitive "epsilon-opioid receptor" in the brain: the mechanisms of epsilon-mediated antinociception

Recently, mu-, delta- and kappa-opioid receptors have been cloned and relatively well-characterized. In addition to three major opioid receptor types, more extensive studies have suggested the possible existence of other opioid receptor types that can be classified as non-mu, non-delta and non-kappa. Based upon anatomical and binding studies in the brain, the sensitive site for an endogenous opioid peptide, beta-endorphin, has been postulated to account for the unique characteristics of the opioid receptor defined as a putative epsilon-opioid receptor. Many epsilon-opioid receptors are functionally coupled to G-proteins. The functional epsilon-opioid receptors in the brain are stimulated by bremazocine and etorphine as well as beta-endorphin, but not by selective mu-, delta- or kappa-opioid receptor agonists. Epsilon-opioid receptor agonists injected into the brain produce profound antinociception. The brain sites most sensitive to epsilon-agonist-induced antinociception are located in the caudal medial medulla such as the nucleus raphe obscures, nucleus raphe pallidus and the adjacent midline reticular formation. The stimulation of epsilon-opioid receptors in the brain facilitates the descending enkephalinergic pathway, which probably originates from the brainstem terminating at the spinal cord. The endogenous opioid Met-enkephalin, released in the spinal cord by activation of supraspinal epsilon-opioid receptors, stimulates spinal delta2-opioid receptors for the production of antinociception. It is noteworthy that the epsilon-opioid receptor-mediated pain control system is different from that of other opioid systems. Although there appears to be no epsilon-selective ligand currently available, these findings provide strong evidence for the existence of the putative epsilon-opioid receptor and its unique function in the brain.     

Neuropeptide Y in hamster limbic nuclei: lack of colocalization with substance P

The medial nucleus of the amygdala (Me), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and medial preoptic area (MPOA) regulate copulation in the male hamster. The present study identified neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive (NPY-IR) neurons in the BNST and Me with the greatest concentration in the posteromedial and posteriordorsal subdivisions of these nuclei, respectively. NPY-IR filters are found in all three nuclei with dense plexi of NPY-IR varicosities in the most medial subdivisions. Substance P neurons are also densely concentrated in the posterior BNST and Me; however, no neurons contained both peptides. Thus, NPY and substance P neurons comprise two distinct populations within the BNST and Me of the hamster.     

Obstructive sleep apnea treatment with dental appliance

The case of a 40-year-old male patient with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is reported, with emphasis on treatment with a dental appliance. This therapeutic approach, which has been focused on recent research, has as its objective, the posturing of the mandibule and, consequently, the tongue more anteriorly, thus in turn leading to an increase in the posterior oropharyngeal airway space (PAS). Cephalometry contributed determining in this case whereby enlargement limits were observed in the PAS with mandibular displacement. Clinical and polysomnographic controls showed subjective reduction of the excessive daytime sleepiness and objective decrease in apneas intensity to normal limits. Eight months follow-up evidenced the steady improvement.     

Tyrosine phosphorylation of NMDA receptor in rat striatum: effects of 6-OH-dopamine lesions

It is technically demanding to make intracellular measurements of mechanoreception in intact arthropod cuticular receptors. Here we introduce a method for recording mechanically induced electrical events in a class of spider mechanoreceptors using single electrode voltage- or current-clamp. A concave piece of cuticle containing a mechanosensitive lyriform slit organ was dissected free and fixed with wax onto a specially designed holder. This holder-cuticle complex, filled with spider saline, allowed displacement of the slit membrane from below while simultaneously recording intracellularly from neurons of the organ through a thin saline film. Extracellular ion concentrations could be changed and ion channel blockers could be applied to the bath. The method promises to allow the investigation of the ion channels responsible for mechanically transduced receptor signals and spike encoding.     

Coronary artery perforation with rotational coronary atherectomy]

We tried to determine whether women with a urinary tract infection (UTI) were more likely to have had a recent pelvic examination than were women seen for other reasons. We compared 56 women who were diagnosed as having a UTI with 49 controls who had an unrelated complaint (sinusitis). Significantly more women with UTIs had received a pelvic examination within the preceding 2 months (43% vs 16%, P = .01). We conclude that having a pelvic examination is associated with an increased risk of a UTI developing within the following 2 months. This may be due to physical factors related to the examination or to risk factors related to the patients' reasons for obtaining a pelvic examination. Further study is needed to determine if the pelvic examination is an independent risk factor. If so, established preventive measures could reduce this risk.