Vaccination for experimental gliomas using GM-CSF-transduced glioma cells

Within the pituitary, folliculostellate (FS) cells are considered to regulate the intercellular communication between endocrine cells by paracrine mechanisms. One of the possible paracrine factors involved, could be interleukin-6 (IL-6) which is produced by these cells. Since IL-6 has been shown to be a growth factor of pituitary cells, we have determined whether IL-6 can also influence FS cell proliferation. To test this, a FS cell-like mouse pituitary cell line (TtT/GF cells) was used that exhibits most characteristics of normal FS cells. Under serum-free conditions the proliferation of TtT/GF cells is critically dependent on the initial seeding density: cells seeded at low density do not grow at all whereas cells seeded at high density proliferate with maximal doubling times of 34 hrs. Mouse IL-6 (mIL-6) stimulated only low density cell cultures in a dose and time dependent manner. For cells seeded at high density, exogenously added IL-6 may have failed to stimulate growth because of endogenously produced mIL-6. Conditioned medium from TtT/GF cells, in which mIL-6 concentrations up to 1017 pg/ml were measured, stimulated the proliferation of TtT/GF cells, indicating an autocrine growth stimulatory mechanism. A neutralizing mIL-6 antibody partially suppressed the growth of TtT/GF cells seeded at high density and partially reduced the growth stimulatory activity of TtT/GF conditioned medium. Thus, IL-6 is one but not the only factor that is involved in the autocrine growth stimulatory loop. The relevance of this mechanism for normal FS cells and its physiological consequence needs to be elucidated.     

Axis II psychopathology as a function of Axis I disorders in childhood and adolescence

OBJECTIVE: To examine the occurrence of elevated personality disorder (PD) dimensional scores in a community sample of young adults as a function of the occurrence of Axis I disorders through age 18 years. METHOD: 299 individuals who had been interviewed regarding Axis I disorders twice while in adolescence (first when 14 through 18 years of age) were carefully assessed regarding Axis I and II psychopathology at age 24. RESULTS: The prevalence of PD diagnoses was relatively low (3.8% in participants with a history of Axis I versus 1.7% in participants with no Axis I history). The occurrence of all four Axis I diagnostic categories (major depression, anxiety disorders, disruptive behavior disorders, substance use disorders) in childhood and adolescence was associated with elevated PD dimensional scores. The likelihood of elevated PD dimensional scores increased as a function of the number of Axis I disorders. Elevated PD scores were significantly associated with a negative course of major depression. CONCLUSIONS: Although the rates of PDs were low, the findings suggest a substantial degree of association between early-onset Axis I disorders and Axis II psychopathology in young adulthood. More research is needed to develop assessment and treatment recommendations addressing the early manifestations of PDs.     

The formation of cardiac-electric-field potentials on the surface of the heart and torso in vertebrate animals

The comparative electrophysiological study of excitation process in heart with different types of organization have laid the foundation for solution of the problems of formation of cardioelectric field. It was shown, that the form of extracellular potentials on the epicardium correlated with different types of ventricle myocardial activation. Animals with the "flash" type of myocardial depolarization in most cases have the negative extracellular potentials in the greater part of the epicardial ventricular surface. Animals with the consecutive type of myocardial activation--the positive and biphase potentials. All myocardial layers (epicardial, intramural and endocardial) are electrophysiologically informative.     

Ornithine decarboxylase activity in muscle, liver, and intestinal tissue of turkeys during a short-term feed withdrawal and following refeeding

The activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), an enzyme associated with cellular growth and protein synthesis, was examined in breast muscle, liver, and intestinal tissues of turkeys during a short-term period of feed withdrawal (FW) and following refeeding. Turkeys from a randombred control line were reared under standard management practices to 3 wk of age in battery brooders. Feed was then withdrawn from FW birds for a 48-h period, after which feed was consumed ad libitum. Control birds consumed feed ad libitum throughout the test period. Tissues were collected from 12 birds per treatment following 24 and 48 h of FW and at 6, 12, 24, and 48 h following refeeding for later determination of tissue ODC activity. Activity of ODC was greater in tissue from the small intestine than in liver tissue and both had greater activity than that exhibited by breast muscle. Short-term FW and refeeding produced differential responses in ODC activity of the three tissues examined. Feed withdrawal resulted in a reduction of ODC activity in intestinal tissue, whereas activity was unaffected for liver or breast muscle tissues. Compensatory increases in ODC activity were observed in liver and intestinal tissues; however, the increase was both more rapid and transitory in small intestine than in liver tissue. The ODC activity in breast muscle was largely unaffected by short-term FW and refeeding. Patterns of ODC activity in liver during FW and refeeding closely resembled patterns observed for absolute and relative liver weight. Thus, the results of the present experiment demonstrate that short-term FW and refeeding influence underlying growth mechanisms of supply organs, such as hepatic and intestinal tissue, in addition to affecting overall growth and muscle development.     

Three-dimensional ultrastructural analysis of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitotic spindle

The three dimensional organization of microtubules in mitotic spindles of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been determined by computer-aided reconstruction from electron micrographs of serially cross-sectioned spindles. Fifteen spindles ranging in length from 0.6-9.4 microns have been analyzed. Ordered microtubule packing is absent in spindles up to 0.8 micron, but the total number of microtubules is sufficient to allow one microtubule per kinetochore with a few additional microtubules that may form an interpolar spindle. An obvious bundle of about eight interpolar microtubules was found in spindles 1.3-1.6 microns long, and we suggest that the approximately 32 remaining microtubules act as kinetochore fibers. The relative lengths of the microtubules in these spindles suggest that they may be in an early stage of anaphase, even though these spindles are all situated in the mother cell, not in the isthmus between mother and bud. None of the reconstructed spindles exhibited the uniform populations of kinetochore microtubules characteristic of metaphase. Long spindles (2.7-9.4 microns), presumably in anaphase B, contained short remnants of a few presumed kinetochore microtubules clustered near the poles and a few long microtubules extending from each pole toward the spindle midplane, where they interdigitated with their counterparts from the other pole. Interpretation of these reconstructed spindles offers some insights into the mechanisms of mitosis in this yeast.     

Antro-pyloric canal values from early prematurity to full-term gestational age: an ultrasound study

PURPOSE: To evaluate antro-pyloric canal dimensions from early prematurity to full-term gestational age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety infants with no signs of regurgitation or vomiting were studied 3-5 days after birth. Their gestational ages ranged from 26 to 41 weeks (mean 33.7 weeks) and the body weight from 670 to 4150 g (mean 2067 g). Antro-pyloric muscle thickness, canal length and canal width were measured. RESULTS: A positive correlation between gestational age, muscle thickness (R = 0.71, P < 0.001), length (R = 0.63, P < 0.001) and width (R = 0.42, P < 0.001) was found. Furthermore, a positive correlation between body weight, muscle thickness (R = 0.82, P < 0.001) length, (R = 0.67, P < 0.001) and width (R = 0.55, P < 0.001) was observed. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that antro-pyloric canal dimensions increase with gestational age. Moreover, it provides normal values for muscle thickness, canal length and canal width from the early gestation to full term.     

Reproductive sequelae in female rats after in utero and neonatal exposure to the phytoestrogen genistein

OBJECTIVE: To determine reproductive sequelae in female rats after in utero and lactational dietary exposure to genistein. DESIGN: Experimental animal study. SETTING: University laboratory. ANIMAL(S): Sprague Dawley rats. INTERVENTION(S): Pregnant rats were fed control rat chow or rat chow incorporated with genistein (approximately 50 microg/d) beginning on day 17 of gestation and continuing until the end of lactation (postpartum day 21). Genistein-exposed female pups were divided into two groups on day 21. One group continued to receive a genistein-added diet (G70); the other group was changed to a control diet (Ex-G). At necropsy (days 21 and 70), blood and reproductive tissues were collected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Serum levels of gonadotropins and gonadal steroids and histopathologic examination of the ovaries. RESULT(S): The weight of the ovaries and uterus and serum levels of E2 and progesterone in genistein-exposed rats on day 21 (G21) were significantly reduced compared with control rats. On day 70, serum levels of E2, progesterone, LH, and FSH were similar in all groups. Atretic follicles and secondary interstitial glands were more common in G70 and Ex-G rats compared with control rats. Cystic rete ovarii was observed in some G70 and Ex-G rats. CONCLUSION(S): Our data indicate that in utero and lactational exposure to dietary genistein adversely affects reproductive processes in the adult female rat.     

Use of the acute cardiac ischemia time-insensitive predictive instrument (ACI-TIPI) to assist with triage of patients with chest pain or other symptoms suggestive of acute cardiac ischemia. A multicenter, controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Approximately 6 million U.S. patients present to emergency departments annually with symptoms suggesting acute cardiac ischemia. Triage decisions for these patients are important but remain difficult. OBJECTIVE: To test whether computerized prediction of the probability of acute ischemia, used with electrocardiography, improves the accuracy of triage decisions. DESIGN: Controlled clinical trial. SETTING: 10 hospital emergency departments in the midwestern, southeastern, and northeastern United States. PATIENTS: 10689 patients with chest pain or other symptoms suggestive of acute cardiac ischemia. INTERVENTION: The probability of acute ischemia predicted by the acute cardiac ischemia time-insensitive predictive instrument (ACI-TIPI), either automatically printed or not printed on patients' electrocardiograms. MEASUREMENTS: Emergency department triage to a coronary care unit (CCU), telemetry unit, ward, or home. Other measurements were the bed capacity of the CCU relative to that of the telemetry unit; training or supervision status of the triaging physician; and patient diagnoses and outcomes based on clinical, electrocardiographic, and creatine kinase data. RESULTS: For patients without cardiac ischemia, in hospitals with high-capacity CCUs and relatively low-capacity cardiac telemetry units, use of ACI-TIPI was associated with a reduction in CCU admissions from 15% to 12%, a change of -16% (95% CI, -30% to 0%), and an increase in emergency department discharges to home from 49% to 52%, a change of 6% (CI, 0% to 14%; overall P=0.09). Across all hospitals, for patients evaluated by unsupervised residents, use of ACI-TIPI was associated with a reduction in CCU admissions from 14% to 10%, a change of -32% (CI, -55% to 3%); a reduction in telemetry unit admissions from 39% to 31%, a change of -20% (CI, -34% to -2%); and an increase in discharges to home from 45% to 56%, a change of 25% (CI, 8% to 45%; overall P=0.008). Among patients with stable angina, in hospitals with high-capacity CCUs, use of ACI-TIPI was associated with a reduction in CCU admissions from 26% to 13%, a change of -50% (CI, -70% to -17%), and an increase in discharges to home from 20% to 22%, a change of 10% (CI, -29% to 71%; overall P=0.02). At hospitals with high-capacity telemetry units, use of ACI-TIPI was associated with a reduction in telemetry unit admissions from 68% to 59%, a change of -14% (CI, -27% to 1%), and an increase in emergency department discharges to home from 10% to 21%, a change of 100% (CI, 22% to 230%; overall P=0.02). Among patients with acute myocardial infarction or unstable angina, use of ACI-TIPI did not change appropriate admission (96%) to the CCU or telemetry unit at hospitals with high-capacity CCUs or telemetry units. CONCLUSIONS: Use of ACI-TIPI was associated with reduced hospitalization among emergency department patients without acute cardiac ischemia. This result varied as expected according to the CCU and cardiac telemetry unit capacities and physician supervision at individual hospitals. Appropriate admission for unstable angina or acute infarction was not affected. If ACI-TIPI is used widely in the United States, its potential incremental impact may be more than 200000 fewer unnecessary hospitalizations and more than 100000 fewer unnecessary CCU admissions.