Correlation of the angiographic, ophthalmologic and rheoencephalographic indices of the cerebral circulation in severe craniocerebral injuries

The results of a study of cerebral haemodynamisc in 54 patients with severe craniocerebral injuries in the acute period and in the course of the lesion are presented. Ophthalmological, angiographic, and theoehcephalographic examinations were conducted. Distinct cerebral blood flow disorders were revealed in various cerebral vessels, consisting in a considerable increase of their tonicity, even as high as spasm, shifts, decelerations of the blood flow. Correlations between the indices of different methods were established.     

Reinforcing effect of stimulation of the mesocerebral region of the brain of the edible snail

Two regions of the brain of the edible snail were stimulated. The spontaneous movements, either opening or closing, of the opening of the mantle cavity served as the signal for the stimulation. The stimulation of the region of the mesocerebrum of the edible snail in a semi-intact preparation may serve as a positive reinforcement of intercurrent behavior, while stimulation of the rostral portion of the parietal ganglia may serve as a negative reinforcement. Depending upon whether the movement itself or its absence is reinforced, the change in the intercurrent behavior may change sign.     

Ultraviolet difference spectroscopy study of alpha- and beta gamma-thrombin binding to heparin

The interaction of alpha- and beta gamma-thrombin with heparin was studied by ultraviolet difference spectroscopy within the wavelength range of 230-300 nm. The absorption difference spectrum of the thrombin-heparin complex was negative and had two maxima at 255 nm (5300 M-1 cm-1) and 282 nm (4700 M-1 cm-1) for alpha-thrombin and at 240 nm (4900 M-1 cm-1) and 282 nm (4100 M-1 cm-1) for beta gamma-thrombin. It is assumed that the conformational changes induced by heparin in the enzyme molecule involve the transfer of some tryptophan and tyrosine residues from the interior of the protein to the surface. The absorption changes during alpha-thrombin--heparin interaction at physiological ionic strength suggest binding of some alpha-thrombin molecules to a heparin molecule at the ligand-enzyme molar ratio lower than 1. Under the same conditions beta gamma-thrombin forms an equimolar complex with heparin with the dissociation constant equal to 7,0.10(-9) M. The ionic strength increase up to 0,217 M NaCl results in some disturbances in beta gamma-thrombin-heparin interaction and prevents the binding of additional alpha-thrombin molecules to an equimolar complex of alpha-thrombin with heparin. Therefore the kinetics of the two enzyme forms interaction with heparin are similar, the alpha-thrombin affinity for heparin being a little higher. The data obtained suggest that alpha-thrombin binding to heparin is essential for biological inactivation of thrombin.     

Studies of the elderly in Boston. I. The effects of iron fortification on moderately anemic peole

It has been reported that large numbers of elderly Americans are moderately anemic because of iron deficiency anemia. In the present study, information has been obtained concerning blood composition, health, and nutritional habits of 779 people over 60 years of age, institutionalized or free-living in the Boston area. This paper presents the results of their blood examinations. Two hundred twenty-one of the free-living people examined who showed hemoglobin levels between 9 and 12.9 g/dl agreed to participate in an iron fortification study. Two-thirds of them received iron-fortified grain products daily for 6 to 8 months. The rest received the same foods without added iron. At the end of the experimental period a marked increase in hemoglobin levels averaging 1.4 g/dl was observed in both groups. This appeared to be attributable to an undefined intervention effect; no measurable effects attributable to the iron fortification were observed. Three months of daily ferrous sulfate administration to those whose hemoglobin levels remained below 13 g/dl was without effect. Examination of the data obtained suggests that the cause of the moderately low hemoglobin levels initially observed was not occult bleeding or folic acid or iron deficiency.     

Evaluation of treatment for the prevention of acute gastric lesions in stress, in rats

Since portal hypertension affects the gastric mucosa, leading to congestive gastropathy and thus to increased incidence of bleeding, it is one of the possible causes of increased permeability of gastric mucosal capillaries. The aim of this study was the quantitative assessment of the permeability of the gastric mucosal endothelial cells. Eight CCl4-induced cirrhotic rats and eight matched controls were subjected to i.v. injection of FITC-albumin, and a morphometric evaluation of fluorescence in serial histological sections of the gastric mucosa was performed by a video image analysis system. Fluorescence was found to be 0.351 +/- 0.01% of the area scanned in experimental animals versus 0.073 +/- 0.005% in controls, i.e. it was significantly increased by the treatment, which implies a significant endothelial leakage into the extravascular space.     

Methylmalonic acidemia with a severe chemical but benign clinical phenotype

A 5-year-old boy of West African origin had methylmalonic acidemia with a mut- enzyme phenotype, no clinical response to hydroxycobalamin, and metabolite measurements indicative of the severe form of mutase deficiency. His development, both mental and physical, was satisfactory and he had no episodes of metabolic decompensation. The explanation for the neurotoxic effects and metabolic decompensation in typical methylmalonic acidemia and the (allelic) genotype that explains this patient's phenotype are uncertain.     

Aneurysms of the cerebral vessels and pneumococcal infection

Two cases of cerebral aneurysm rupture with repeat subarachnoidal haemorrhage are reported in patients with pneumococcal infection confirmed bacteriologically. It is concluded that in pathogenesis of the aneurysmal rupture in pneumococcal infection a significant role is played not only by pneumococcal tropism to the meninges, but also by affection of the endothelium and cerebral vascular membranes, hemostasis defects, arterial hypertension as manifestations of a general adaptation syndrome.