Gonadoblastoma: clinicopathologic correlation in six patients

Six patients with a total of nine gonadoblastomas are presented; three--and possibly a fourth--had dysgerminomatous overgrowth which was massive in two patients. Calcification detected by abdominal films was present in three sufficient for preoperative diagnosis. All patients were found to have a Y stem line on peripheral leukocyte chromosome cultures except one patient, who had a 46 XX/45 XO karyotype. She was found to have Y chromatin bodies in the germ cells of her tumor which was in a normal ovary found at exploration for an ectopic pregnancy. Three were found in virilized phenotypic females investigated for amenorrhea, and two for therapy of pelvic masses due to dysgerminomatous overgrowth. Y chromatin studies are reported on gonadal tissue.     

Craig-Scott orthosis: a biochemical and functional evaluation

The Craig-Scott double upright knee ankle orthosis was subjected to a biomechanical evaluation which included analysis of the force interaction with the supported limb and a functional evaluation. The results were compared with data previously determined from biomechanical evaluations of other common orthoses. In the Craig-Scott design, the single application of the knee stabilizing force below the knee concentrates this force in a relatively small bony area, sometimes exceeding tolerance. This might be avoided by using a tibial closure with patellar tendon bearing features. The design was found to produce relatively low anatomic knee shear. In functional aspects such as donning, doffing, transfers and ambulation, the orthosis is essentially equivalent to other double upright designs. The rigidity of the orthosis with only a tibial band closure and a bail connecting the uprights was determined to be adequate. The limited number of bands and closures provides some advantages in reduced donning and doffing time; however, in the absence of posterior closures below the knee, the orthosis had a tendency to slide forward off the leg when transferring. This disadvantage was eliminated by adding a soft posterior closure below the knee, which produced a minimal increase in donning and doffing times.     

Rheographic assessment of cerebral blood volume and correlations with changes in intracranial pressure

The authors present a four electrode rheographic technique for simiquantitative continuous measurement of CBV, by examining changes in cerebral tissue impedance induced by changes in blood content of the brain parenchyma. Correlation between the data obtained and ICP measurements permits conclusions regarding the behaviour of the cerebral blood bed. pCO2 regulates CBV, and the phenomenon is reversible according to a hystereris shaped time course in acute experiments. The rebound of ICP after sudden injections of CSF into the cisterna magna is of a vasogenic nature. Changes in CSF volume induce contrary changes in CBV. Pharmacological effects can be studied. The validity of the method is discussed.     

Effects of growth hormone in osteoporosis

The effect of chronic administration of growth hormone (GH) to osteoporotic patients was studied using the techniques of total body neutron activation analysis, whole body counting, calcium tracer kinetics, photon absorptiometry, quantitative microradiography, and urinary hydroxyproline. Two dosage schedules were utilized for six months each: 2 units daily and 0.2 w3/4 units of GH daily (where W represents body weight expressed in kg). The lower dosage (2 units) did not produce any appreciable change in the indices studied. Following the higher dose, no evidence of any anabolic effect was apparent in most patients (i.e., no increase in total body levels of Ca, Na, K, P, or Cl). Increases were noted in the urinary calcium excretion rate and in the urinary hydroxyproline excretion. Bone mineral content decreased. The bone biopsies displayed an increase in bone formation and resorption surfaces in response to treatment, but these changes were not statistically significant. It may be concluded that under the conditions of this study, GH administration did not result in an increment in skeletal mass. Several side effects that are characteristic of acromegaly were observed, including hyperglycemia, hypertension, arthralgia, and the carpal tunnel syndrome. Because of the lack of demonstrated benefit and the associated complications of therapy, GH administration does not appear to be of value in the treatment of osteoporosis.     

Effect of temperature on binding of warfarin by human serum albumin

The in vitro binding of warfarin by human serum albumin was studied at various temperatures and at pH 7.4 by a frontal gel filtration technique. The results can be best described in terms of a two class-of-binding site model, in which the numbers of primary and secondary sites are constrained to the average values for all experiments (n1 = 1.38 and n2 = 3.73). Analysis of the temperature dependence of the binding yielded the following thermodynamic parameters: deltaH1 =-2.55 kcal/mole, deltaS1=16.1 eu, and deltaF1=-7.34 kcal/mole for the primary binding and deltaH2=-5.08 kcal/mole, deltaS2=-1.10 eu, and deltaF2=4.72 kcal/mole for the secondary binding. Calculations based on these results showed that, for the therapeutic concentration range, warfarin was over 99% bound to albumin present in physiological concentration. These findings are compared and contrasted to binding data in the literature for warfarin and salicylate.     

The effects of VIP on intestinal motility: study on ex vivo perfused isolated canine jejunal loops

The effects of VIP on intestinal motility were studied on isolated canine jejunal loops ex vivo perfused at normothermia, under pulsatile flow with heparinized, oxygenated and nonrecirculated canine whole blood, by means of an intraluminal balloon. VIP was administered intraarterially either by 1 min injections or by long-time infusions. The results showed that for arterial concentrations of the polypeptide ranging between 25 pg/ml and 300-500 pg/ml a fast but short-lasting relaxant effect was observed. For higher concentrations VIP usually produced a biphasic response: The relaxant effect is followed by an increase of the basal muscular tone often accompanied, for concentrations higher than about 25 ng/ml, by a marked and transient increase in amplitude of the intestinal rhythmic contractions. During long-time infusions a biphasic response was also observed but both effects were of short duration. A cholingeric origin of the secondary contracting phase was expected but could not be demonstrated because, at blood concentrations at which atropine affected the biphasic response, not only was the contractile effect abolished but also the initial relaxing phase. It is suggested that the secondary contraction may be a "rebound excitation" of myogenic nature or a result of noncholingeric excitatory fiber stimulations. The short-lasting relaxant effect observed under the present experimental conditions, even during long-time infusion of the polypeptide, fails to argue for an important physiological role of VIP as an hormonal inhibitor of intestinal motility. The biphasic response, however, might have a physiological significance in so far as the aboral propulsion of the intestinal content requires a muscular inhibition which rapidly changes to contraction.     

Sequence analysis of the CCG polymorphic region adjacent to the CAG triplet repeat of the HD gene in normal and HD chromosomes

The CAG expansion responsible for Huntington's disease (HD) is followed by an adjacent polymorphic CCG repeat region which may interfere with a PCR based diagnosis. We have sequenced this region in 52 unrelated HD patients, from both normal and HD chromosomes. Fifty percent of the normal alleles were (CCG)7(CCT)2, 48% (CCG)10(CCT)2, and 2% (CCG)7(CCT)3. In contrast (CCG)7(CCT)2 was found in 85% of the HD alleles which represents significant linkage disequilibrium with the HD mutation.