Ultrastructural changes in the supraoptic nucleus and posterior lobe of the pituitary following experimental burns

The dynamics of the ultrastructure of the neurosecretory system in the postburn period is characterized by phasic of organells of neurosecretory cells and synapses on their bodies and processes. Immediately after burn there appear pronounced signs of an increased formation of secretion synchronous to a considerably increased functional activity of synaptic structures. Of the opposite character are fine structures in neurocytes in the subsequent period (1-1,5 hour after burn). Phenomena of disintegration and degeneration of organells are developing in the cells. In the posiologically active neurohormones and degeneration of membrane structures gradually increase at all the observed stages of the burn trauma. All the elements of the supraoptic nucleus and the posterior lobe of the hypophysis early responding to the effect of such a powerful extreme factor are involved in the response of the organism to burn. It should be noted that immediately after burn there appears an increased permeability of capillaries followed by extravasation of formed elements and liquid blood. It steadily increases with the development of the process.     

Lipid-protein interactions with native and modified myelin basic protein

The basic protein of central nervous system myelin has been shown to form complexes with acidic lipids in vitro. We measured the interaction of myelin basic protein with several charged and neutral lipids in a biphasic chloroform/methanol/water system and investigated the effect of decreasing the electrical charge of the basic amino groups of the myelin basic protein by acetylation. The modified myelin basic protein, which has an average of eight acetyl residues incorporated, was characterised by gel electrophoresis and circular dichroism. Complexes formed between the acetylated myelin basic protein and acidic lipids exhibited a reduction in the amount of lipids bound, a value that could be correlated with the number of modified amino groups. The significance of these experiments with reference to protein-lipid interaction in the myelin membrane is discussed.     

Factors affecting outcome in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in term infants

Forty-nine term infants were prospectively shown to have hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). All infants survived the neonatal period, and all but two infants (seen at 12 months) were followed up to at least 27 months of age. Factors that significantly correlated with outcome included the Sarnat encephalopathy stage and the occurrence of intractable seizures not controlled by phenobarbital sodium alone. There was no association between the one- or five-minute Apgar score, the need for early ventilation, the EEG, the occurrence of seizures, and the subsequent outcome. There was no significant difference in outcome for those infants who received dexamethasone sodium phosphate (n = 29) v those who did not receive the drug (n = 20). A review of 97 term infants with HIE from a regional perinatal program during a one-year period (1979), including 35 of the 49 infants in the present study, did show a significant increase in morbidity and mortality for transported infants.