Unusual case of metabolic bone disease in a common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

Metabolic bone disease was diagnosed in an 11-month-old female common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). It was depressed, reluctant to move, and was cachectic and small for its age. Laboratory findings included anaemia, azotaemia and an inverse calcium to phosphorus ratio. The radiological findings showed simultaneous signs of osteomalacia and soft-tissue calcification. There was decreased bone density with lytic areas in the pelvis and femur, and severe bilateral nephrocalcinosis. Postmortem examination revealed marked focal dystrophic calcification of the epi- and myocardium. Calcium and vitamin D3 deficiency (nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism) was the most likely cause of the osteomalacia.     

Use of cardiopulmonary bypass to salvage patients with multiple-chamber heart wounds

BACKGROUND: The need for cardiopulmonary bypass in the treatment of penetrating heart injuries is debated. OBJECTIVES: To review our experience with penetrating heart injuries and determine the indications and outcome for cardiopulmonary bypass. DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: A university-based, level I trauma center. PATIENTS: All victims of penetrating heart injury presenting between July 1, 1989, and December 31, 1995. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed for demographic and physiological data, operative findings, and outcome. RESULTS: Overall survival for 106 patients with penetrating heart injury was 55%. In an effort to resuscitate the heart, 4 patients with unresponsive cardiogenic shock were placed on cardiopulmonary bypass; none survived. Of 30 patients with multiple-chamber injuries, 11 presented with signs of life and 7 survived. Cardiopulmonary bypass was essential to repair complex injuries in 2 of the 7 survivors. CONCLUSION: Cardiopulmonary bypass was ineffective in salvaging patients with cardiogenic shock but was essential in some patients with complex multiple-chamber cardiac injuries that could not be exposed and repaired by other means.     

The evaluation of women with schizophrenia

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A diagnosis of cancer is a contraindication for the use of therapeutic ultrasound (US). Continuous US applied to murine tumors has resulted in larger and heavier tumors compared with controls. We compared tumor growth using low-power continuous US and energy-matched pulsed US. SUBJECTS: Female C57BL/6 mice (N = 174) were used. METHODS: Animals received subcutaneous injections of methylcholanthrene tumor cells. The mice were randomly divided into three groups: 60 mice that received low-power continuous US for 5 minutes at 0.75 W/cm2 (LC US group), 63 mice that received pulsed US for 12.5 minutes at 1.5 W/cm2 (pulsed US group), and 51 mice that served as a control group. The LC and pulsed US groups received equal US energy. Both experimental groups received 10 treatments of 3-MHz US, which was applied directly over the tumor. The control group received identical handling but no US. After treatment, the tumors were excised, weighed, and measured. A one-way analysis of variance, followed by Newman-Keuls post hoc testing, was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Mean tumor weights (in grams) and volumes (in cubic millimeters) were 0.563 g and 564 mm3 for the LC US group, 0.560 g and 525 mm3 for the pulsed US group, and 0.516 g and 406 mm3 for the control group. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: Reducing total US energy will result in less growth of murine tumors. When infusing equal energy, continuous and pulsed US will produce similar effects on tumor growth.     

Pitx2 participates in the late phase of the pathway controlling left-right asymmetry

BACKGROUND: We have studied the role of the different MHC (RT1) subregions in acute natural killer (NK) cell-mediated bone marrow allograft rejection in lethally irradiated, bone marrow cell (BMC) reconstituted rats. METHODS: We employed a series of MHC congenic and intra-MHC recombinant rat strains so that effects of mismatches in defined RT1 subregions could be studied systematically. BMC allograft survival was measured as 125IUdR uptake in the spleen between day 5 and day 7 after irradiation and BMC reconstitution. RESULTS: We found that in certain RT1 haplotype combinations, nonclassical RT1.C disparities by themselves could determine graft rejection (i.e., in the u/av1 recombinant haplotypes), whereas in another combination (between the av1 and c haplotypes) a mismatch for an isolated classical RT1.A region was decisive for engraftment. Thus, PVG.R1 BMC failed to proliferate in PVG rats, differing in the RT1.A region only, whereas in PVG.1U rats rejection could be determined by isolated differences in the RT1.C region (LEW.1WR1). Also, RT1 homozygous rats (RT1.U) rejected semi-allogeneic F1 hybrid BMC. The acute rejection of BMC was mediated by NK cells, as athymic nude rats, lacking alloreactive T cells but with normal alloreactive NK cells, showed the same patterns of rejection as did normal rats. Nude rats also rejected allogeneic lymphocytes, a previously documented NK-mediated phenomenon, with identical requirements of MHC disparity. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation shows that rat effector NK cells are radioresistant, independent of the thymus, and capable of recognizing and rejecting MHC mismatched transplanted BMC on the basis of mismatches in both classical and nonclassical class I regions in vivo. The studies underline the importance also of NK cells in determining BMC allograft survival.     

The HIV-inactivating protein, cyanovirin-N, does not block gp120-mediated virus-to-cell binding

Concentrations of the potent, HIV(human immunodeficiency virus) inactivating protein, cyanovirin-N (CV-N), which completely inhibit HIV-1 infectivity, do not block the binding of soluble CD4-receptor (sCD4) to HIV-1 lysates nor the attachment of intact HIV-1 virions to several target T-cell lines. Furthermore, in contrast to the known disassociative effects of sCD4 on viral envelope glycoproteins, treatment of HIVRF with high concentrations of CV-N results in complete viral inactivation but without apparent shedding of gp120 or other ultrastructural changes. These results are consistent with the view that the virucidal effects of CV-N result from interference with step(s) in the fusion process subsequent to the initial binding of the virus to target cells.     

Influence of verapamil and digoxin on the in vitro binding of doxorubicin to the rat heart

A study has been carried out to characterize the binding of doxorubicin to heart homogenates and subcellular fractions. The technique chosen to perform the study was equilibrium dialysis and the levels of anthracycline in the samples obtained from the dialysis were assessed using HPLC. Doxorubicin has high affinity to heart homogenates and subcellular fractions such as nuclear, mitochondrial and microsomal. The binding was saturable and dose-dependent. Doxorubicin binding is decreased in the presence of digoxin and especially verapamil.     

Calcium antagonistic actions of drugs used in treatment of affective disorders

Disturbances of intra- and extracellular calcium levels are often reported during the course of affective disorders. In this review calcium antagonistic properties of drugs used in the treatment of affective disorders are discussed. The effects of calcium channel blockers in animal models of depression and in clinical trials are compared to established treatment strategies. Knowledge on changes in calcium homoeostasis during the treatment of affective disorders may increase the scope of therapeutic options.     

Psychoneuroendocrinology of anxiety disorders

This article focuses on neuroendocrine measures in anxiety disorders and their relationships to neurotransmitter and neuroendocrine function. In particular, the hypothalamic-pituitary-somatotropin and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axes are emphasized, and a role for extrahypothalamic corticotropin releasing factor is proposed. Additional neuroactive hormones are also considered. A nonhuman primate model of anxiety is discussed in terms of its neuroendocrine relevance. And, throughout, a hypothetical functional-anatomic model for anxiety and panic is proposed using the findings of cognitive neuroscience fear research. Finally, an effort is made to synthesize existing psychoneuroendocrinologic data into a current conceptualization of the pathophysiology of anxiety disorders.     

Identification and characterization of a new gene from human chromosome 21 between markers D21S343 and D21S268 encoding a leucine-rich protein

Organic nitrates undergo enzymatic metabolization in the vasculature to release the active compound nitric oxide (NO). The resulting preferential venodilation has been suggested to be related to the vascular bioactivation process of organic nitrates because sodium nitroprusside, which is bioactivated differently, is not venoselective. We sought to determine whether NO has an influence on vascular bioconversion of organic nitrates because endogenous endothelial production of NO is smaller in veins than in arteries. Rings of porcine coronary arteries were subjected to radioactive glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) after preincubation with defined amounts of NO. The vascular content of GTN and the dinitrates (GDNs) 1,2-GDN and 1,3-GDN then was quantified. NO (3 microM, 30 min) significantly impaired bioactivation of GTN as indicated by a 30-50% reduction in the accumulation of 1,2-GDN and 1,3-GDN, whereas unchanged GTN was increased. Incubation with NO also reduced the stimulated specific activity of soluble guanylate cyclase isolated from human platelets. Its specific activity was reduced from 2.6 +/- 0.2 to 2.1 +/- 0.13 nmol of cGMP/mg/min. Relaxation studies with rings of porcine coronary arteries showed that NO-induced inhibition of vascular GTN metabolism and cGMP accumulation decreased the vasodilator potency of GTN by 10-fold. Further experiments showed that the duration of NO treatment is more important for this effect than the concentration of NO. We suggest that NO can inhibit vascular bioactivation of organic nitrates and might slightly desensitize soluble guanylate cyclase. The preferential venodilation induced by organic nitrates might be the result of the comparably low production of endogenous NO in veins.