Serum HIV-1 RNA levels and time to development of AIDS in the Multicenter Hemophilia Cohort Study

Normal women produce small amounts of active androgens. When androgen levels are elevated, such as for example in the polycystic ovary syndrome, this is followed by the development of male physical characteristics and muscle mass, structure and function as well as android adipose tissue distribution and function. Psychological features and stress reactions also seem similar to those of men. Such women have an increased risk of developing hypertension, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Recent data have shown that these physical, and psychological characteristics, as well as risk of ill health, are also found in the population of women selected at random. Women in the lowest quintiles of levels of sex-hormone-binding globulin--an indicator inversely related to active androgens--are at risk of developing hypertension, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular mortality. The mechanism probably includes muscular insulin resistance, following a relative androgen excess. It is thus apparent that androgens, even within the highest levels of the nonselected population of women, are powerful predictors of serious disease development. The population at risk might be as large as about 20% of middle-aged women. This is an area of female disease risk which requires more attention in screening and intervention procedures.     

Fatal gastrointestinal haemorrhage due to coexisting primary aorto-enteric and aorto-colic fistulae. Complicating untreated atheromatous abdominal aortic aneurysm

We report a case of aorto-enteric and aorto-colonic fistulae in a 73 year old man with no previous abdominal surgery which resulted in massive gastrointestinal haemorrhage and death and was undiagnosed despite several hospital admissions and endoscopic examinations. This case serves to highlight an extremely rare but fatal condition, which is potentially treatable, if an early diagnosis is made.     

Satiety role of the small intestine examined in sham-feeding rhesus monkeys.

Conducted 4 experiments with 4 male rhesus monkeys in which food was diverted from the stomach, the small intestine, or both. Results demonstrate that (a) food acting at the pregastric level was not sufficient to produce normal-sized meals, (b) accumulation of food in the small intestine was necessary to produce normal-sized meals, and (c) a potent preabsorptive or postabsorptive satiety signal originated at the intestinal level. It is concluded that this unidentified satiety signal is sufficient to elicit satiety, can be dissociated from gastric emptying, and does not require the presence of gastic distention to operate. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Limited period of action of testosterone on memory formation in the chick.

Domestic chicks will normally peck readily at small colored beads. However, a peck at a bead with an unpleasant taste usually results in a long-lasting aversion to beads of that type. The present study describes experiments in which pretraining and training were separated by a standard interval and then followed by retention tests at varying times in different groups of Warren sex-link chicks. The effect of variation in the interval between pretraining and training is also examined. Results show that if prior experience ("pretraining") of a bead of the type that is to be used in a later aversive training trial is given to testosterone-treated Ss, it interferes with the retention of avoidance. Interference by pretraining is effective only within sharply defined periods of time: when the pretraining–training interval is either less than 2 min (short-term) or greater than about 25 min (long-term). When pretraining and training are separated by 90 min or more, the steroid can be effective when injected up to 30 min after pretraining. It appears to change the character of the consolidating memory trace of pretraining in such a way as to make the consolidation of later, contradictory information from training less likely. The initial stage of this information is apparantly unaffected, since retention does not begin to decay until 30–60 min after training. Short-term interference leads to loss of avoidance within 5 min of training and can be used to demonstrate that the latency of action of the hormone in this task is less than 20 min following a sc injection. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Methionine transport by pig colonic mucosa measured during early post-natal development

New-born pig proximal colon, incubated in vitro, transports methionine with a Km of 0-33 mM and a Vmax of 0-62 mumole cm-2h-1. There is still a net transport of methionine on day 4, but the Km now increases to 10 mM and the Vmax falls to 0-15 mumole cm-2h-1. There is no net transport of methionine across proximal colons taken from 10-day-old pigs. 2. The mean intramucosal concentration of methionine, following incubation in medium containing 1 mM methionine, is 7-18+/-0-8 mM for the new-born, 0-55+/-0-05 mM for the 4-day-old and 0-31+/-0-06 mM for the 10-day-old pig. 3. Both methionine and glucose cause an immediate increase in the short-circuit current of new-born and 1-day-old pig colons. The kinetics for this interaction with methionine gives a Km for methionine of 0-24 mM and a maximum effect of 27 muA cm-2. This effect is not seen in 4- or 10-day-old pigs. 4. Net Na+ transport across the new-born pig proximal colon, measured in the absence of methionine, is about three times that calculated from the measured short-circuit current. Methionine increases the mucosal to serosal flux of Na+ by an amount roughly equal to that predicted from the increase in short-circuit current. The ability of glucose and methionine to affect short-circuit current is lost by day 4. 5. Short-circuit current, measured in the absence of methionine or glucose, increases between day 1 and 2 of post-natal life. This increased electrogenicity is maintained for up to at least 10 days after birth. 6. The pig proximal colon has many of the properties of a small intestine at birth. It actively transports methionine and the presence of methionine stimulates the absorption of Na+. These effects could be physiologically important in the pig, where the normal absorptive function of the intestine is temporarily inhibited at birth by the intestinal transmission of immune globulins.     

Breast-feeding protects against respiratory syncytial virus infections

Eight out of 115 infants admitted to hospital with respiratory syncytial (RS) virus infection had been breast-fed compared with 46 out of 167 controls; this difference was statistically significant. Twenty-one specimens of human colostrum were examined, and all contained RS virus neutralising activity. Specific IgA and IgG were detected in 18 specimens, whereas IgM was detected in none. The titre of IgA antibody was usually higher and correlated more closely to the titre of neutralising activity than that of IgG. Infants inhale milk feeds and regurgitate them through the nose, and the IgA collecting in the respiratory tract might protect against severe respiratory infection. Alternatively, if severe RS virus illness is a sign of hypersensitivity to the virus breast-feeding might protect the infant from an early sensitising infection.