Acute treatment with the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist MK-801: effect of concurrent administration of haloperidol or scopolamine on preproenkephalin mRNA levels of the striatum and nucleus accumbens of the rat brain

17 patients underwent an orthognathic operation. The condyle positioning plate was used in each sagittal split ramus osteotomy of mandible in order to maintain the condyle position. The results of postoperative X-ray examination showed that no obvious displacement of condyle in posterioranterior, and vertical dimension was detected in all joints and obvious horizontal condyle displacement were only found in two joints. Based on this work the author believe that condyle positioning plate is useful to position condyle during operation.     

Role of beta87 Thr in the beta6 Val acceptor site during deoxy Hb S polymerization

Three new Hb S variants containing beta87 Leu, Trp, or Asp instead of Thr were expressed in yeast in order to further define the role of the beta87 position in stability and polymerization of deoxy Hb S. Previous studies showed that hydrophobicity at beta85 Phe and beta88 Leu is critical for stabilization of hemoglobin. Results with the three Hb S beta87 variants, however, showed minimal differences in stability, suggesting that beta87 amino acid hydrophobicity is not critical for stabilization of hemoglobin. Polymerization properties of the variants in the deoxy form, however, were affected by the beta87 amino acid. Polymerization of Hb S beta87 Thr --> Leu and Hb S beta87 Thr --> Trp was preceded by a delay time like Hb S, while Hb S beta87 Thr --> Asp did not show a delay time. In addition, changes in time required for half polymer formation (T1/2) as a function of hemoglobin concentration for Hb S beta87 Thr --> Asp were similar to that for beta87 Thr --> Gln. Hb S beta87 Thr --> Leu polymerized at a lower hemoglobin concentration than Hb S while beta87 Thr --> Trp and Hb S beta87 Thr --> Asp required much higher hemoglobin concentrations for polymer formation. Critical concentration required for deoxy Hb S beta87 Thr --> Asp polymerization was 6- and 2.3-fold greater than that for Hb S beta85 Phe --> Glu and Hb S beta88 Leu --> Glu, respectively. These results suggest that even though beta87 Thr is not a direct interaction site for beta6 Val in deoxy Hb S polymers, it does play a critical role in formation of the hydrophobic acceptor pocket which then promotes protein-protein interactions facilitating formation of stable nuclei and polymers of deoxy Hb S.     

Effect of electric toothbrushes versus manual toothbrushes on removal of plaque and periodontal status during orthodontic treatment

OBJECTIVES: To determine persistence of bacteremia, pathogenicity, and immunoglobulin kinetics after blood transmission of Bartonella henselae in cats. ANIMALS: 18 specific-pathogen-free (SPF) cats (16 weeks old) received blood or urine from 4 adult cats (2 SPF, 2 naturally infected with B henselae). PROCEDURE: SPF cats were inoculated with blood IV (n = 4), blood IM (n = 4), or urine sediment IM (n = 4) from 2 bacteremic cats (donors A and B). Control cats (2/route) received inoculum from culture-negative, seronegative SPF cats (donors C and D). RESULTS: 6 cats (5 blood, 1 urine) were transiently febrile during the 213-day observation period. Two bacteremic cats developed CNS abnormalities. Transient anemia was the only hematologic abnormality. Bacteremia was induced in 7 of 8 blood recipients by postinoculation day (PID) 11. Urine recipients (n = 6) did not become bacteremic or seroconvert by PID 108, but when challenge exposed IV with blood, 4 of 6 became infected. All infected cats developed relapsing bacteremia. Initially, colony counts for donor-A recipients were 10(3) greater than those for donor-B recipients; however, during relapses, counts were similar. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of 16S rRNA gene and the intergenic spacer region revealed no differences among isolates derived from recipient cats. Bartonella henselae-specific antibodies were detected between PID 15 and 18 in donor-A, compared with PID 46 and 181 in donor-B recipients. The peak geometric mean titer of donor-A recipients was 1,448, versus 406 for donor-B recipients. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Blood transmission of B henselae induced subtle clinical abnormalities; the biological behavior of the 2 donor strains differed; and relapsing bacteremia can persist in conjunction with variably high antibody titers.     

Somatomedin C (insulin-like growth factor I) levels in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

A rabbit antiserum was raised against the N-terminal fragment peptide, GEGLSS (Gly-Glu-Gly-Leu-Ser-Ser) of bovine neuropeptide AF (NPAF, A18Famide). NPAF is an octadecapeptide isolated from the bovine brain together with neuropeptide FF (NPFF). GEGLSS-like immunoreactivity was localized with immunofluorescence technique in colchicine-treated rats in neuronal cell bodies of the supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular (PVN) hypothalamic nuclei. A few neurons were also observed in the retrochiasmatic part of the SON. GEGLSS-like immunoreactivity was also localized to nerve terminals of the posterior pituitary. No GEGLSS-ir neuronal cell bodies were observed in the medial hypothalamus, in an area that contains NPFF-ir neurons. GEGLSS immunoreactivity was also seen in the fibers and terminals of nucleus of the solitary tract. We injected a retrograde tracer, fluorogold, to the posterior pituitary gland and visualized GEGLSS-ir neuronal cell bodies double-labeled with the tracer in SON, PVN, and SOR. The pituitary stalk transsection totally abolished the GEGLSS-ir structures from the posterior pituitary. Our results suggest that GEGLSS immunoreactivity in the rat brain has a more limited distribution than NPFF immunoreactivity. GEGLSS immunoreactivity was partially colocalized with arginine-vasopressin and oxytocin in neuronal cell bodies in the SON and PVN. Considering the fact that the known rat NPFF-NPAF precursor does not contain GEGLSS structure, the detected GEGLSS immunoreactivity may be derived from a previously unknown precursor.     

Pathogen-specific risk factors and protective factors for acute diarrheal disease in urban Brazilian infants

To evaluate potential risk factors and protective factors for acute diarrheal disease in urban infants, 500 infants < or = 12 months old with diarrhea and 500 age-matched control subjects coming to a S?o Paulo emergency room were studied. On multivariate analysis, these apparently sporadic community-acquired cases of diarrhea were significantly associated with hospitalization in the month before onset (odds ratio [OR], 3.4), day care center exposure (OR, 2.0), prior diarrhea in another household member (OR, 4.4), and low family income (OR, 1.8). Breast-feeding infants < 6 months old (OR, 0.3) and boiling household drinking water (OR, 0.4) were protective. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC; OR, 12.0) and Salmonella (OR, 7/0, discordant pairs) infections were associated with prior hospitalization, rotavirus infections were associated with day care (OR, 6/0), and breast-feeding was protective against EPEC infections (OR, 0.1). These results suggest that certain preventive strategies can prevent a substantial proportion of cases of diarrheal disease in Brazilian infants.     

X-ray structural studies and physicochemical characterization of the 1-butanol, 1-pentanol, and 1,4-dioxane solvates of succinylsulfathiazole

The crystal structures and thermal decomposition of three solvated forms of the antibacterial drug succinylsulfathiazole (SST) have been studied. The solvates, with 1:1 host-guest stoichiometry, are SST x 1-butanol (1) SST x 1-pentanol (2), and SST x 1,4-dioxane (3). Solvates 1 and 2 crystallize in the triclinic system, space group P1, with two formula units per cell, and are nearly isostructural. The OH groups of the guest molecules in both solvates engage in hydrogen bonding to the host SST and occupy cavities in the crystals. Solvate 3 is triclinic, space group P1, with two formula units per cell, but the two independent solvent molecules are located in crystallographically distinct channels. In one channel, solvent molecules are hydrogen bonded to the host while, in the other, they are held by van der Waals interactions only. The structural results are in accord with thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric data which indicate one-step desolvation for 1 and 2 but two-step desolvation for 3. X-ray powder diffraction was used to attempt identification of the polymorphic forms of SST resulting from desolvation of 1-3. Desolvation of 1 and 3 appears to yield pure polymorphs of SST while 2 yields a mixture of polymorphs. The activation energies for the desolvation of the nearly isomorphous solvates 1 and 2 were found by dynamic thermogravimetry to be 155 and 149 kJ mol(-1), respectively.     

Laparoscopic treatment of ureteral obstruction secondary to ovarian remnant syndrome

A case is presented in which an ovarian remnant following total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy resulted in unilateral ureteral obstruction. The obstructing tissue was excised laparoscopically with simultaneous ureteroscopic monitoring.     

GD3, a prominent ganglioside of human melanoma. Detection and characterisation by mouse monoclonal antibody

Mouse monoclonal antibody AbR24 has a high degree of specificity for human melanoma cells when tested on viable cultured cells using the protein A mixed hemagglutinin serological assay. The antigen detected by this antibody has been isolated from melanoma cells and shown to be GD3 ganglioside by compositional and partial structural analysis and by comparison with authentic GD3 in thin layer chromatography (TLC). AbR24 reacts with authentic GD3, but not with any other ganglioside tested. Using TLC and reactivity with AbR24, a wide range of cells and tissues was examined for the presence of GD3. A new serological assay, termed glycolipid-mediated immune adherence, was devised for assaying the reactivity of AbR24 with gangliosides. Melanomas (cultured cells or tumor tissue) were shown to have GD3 and GM3 as major gangliosides. Other cells and tissues examined also contained GD3, but usually only in low amounts. Melanomas (and MOLT-4, a T cell line) were characterized by a simplified ganglioside profile with GD3 and GM3 as major components. The apparent discrepancy between the ubiquitous presence of GD3 and the serological specificity of AbR24 for melanoma cells can be explained in terms of localization and concentration of GD3 in different cells.     

High-resolution 1H-NMR studies of monomeric melittin in aqueous solution

High resolution 1H-NMR at 360 MHz was used to characterize monomeric melittin in aqueous solution. The monomeric form of melittin was found to prevail at 3 mM concentration, pH 3.0, and temperatures between 30 and 90 degrees C, both in the absence of salt and with 6 M guanidium chloride. From comparison with model peptides and studies of the effects of 6 M guanidium chloride and variable temperature on the NMR parameters it was concluded that monomeric melittin is predominantly in an extended flexible form, with the fragments 5--9 and 14--20 more highly structured than the rest of the amino acid sequence. The appearance of a second, low abundant form of monomeric melittin, which is in slow exchange on the NMR time scale with both the more abundant monomeric conformation and aggregated melittin, was attributed to cis-trans isomerism of the peptide bond Leu-13--Pro-14.