Cocaine use in women from a defined population: prevalence at delivery and effects on growth in infants

Adverse health effects associated with intrauterine cocaine exposure (prematurity and its associated morbidity, intrauterine growth retardation, possible risk of sudden infant death syndrome) are based on studies from large urban hospitals, but few data exist from other sources. The current study, set in a community hospital, was designed to (1) estimate the prevalence of maternal cocaine use at delivery, (2) describe neonatal outcomes, and (3) evaluate physiological growth in exposed children. The study was conducted over 30 months (total births were 14,074) at The Children's Hospital of Greenville Memorial Hospital, the major source of neonatal care for Greenville County, South Carolina (1990 population: 320,000). A child was considered exposed to cocaine if there was documented evidence of use in the mother's medical record or if one member of the pair had a positive urine drug screen. Growth data were abstracted from clinical records. Overall prevalence of exposure was 1.0%. Of the 137 subjects (89, positive urine drug screen; 48 self-reported exposure), 21 (15%, 95% confidence interval, 9% to 21%) were premature (gestational age < 37 weeks) and 2 died of sudden infant death syndrome. Mean age- and sex-adjusted percentiles for weight, length, and head circumference increased from 23%, 29%, and 18%, respectively, at birth to 43%, 49%, and 54% in children followed for 12 months; however, 50% of the cohort were lost to follow-up, and these children were smaller at birth than those under active follow-up. Rates of prematurity and infant death were similar to those reported in urban hospitals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Role of endogenous carbon monoxide in central regulation of arterial pressure

We investigated the contribution of neural mechanisms to the arterial pressure increase produced by zinc deuteroporphyrin 2,4-bis glycol (ZnDPBG), an inhibitor of endogenous carbon monoxide synthesis. The arterial baroreceptor reflex control of heart rate was examined in rats with and without ZnDPBG pretreatment (45 micromol/kg IP) by analysis of the arterial pressure-heart rate relationship during infusions of phenylephrine or sodium nitroprusside to vary arterial pressure. ZnDPBG increased arterial pressure from 110 +/- 3 to 126 +/- 2 mm Hg without eliciting bradycardia. The maximum gain of the heart rate response to changes in arterial pressure was attenuated by ZnDPBG treatment (-1.9 +/- 0.3 versus -4.8 +/- 1.0 bpm/mm Hg). The possibility that ZnDPBG elevates arterial pressure by attenuating baroreceptor reflex function was addressed by comparing the pressor response to ZnDPBG (45 micromol/kg IP) in rats with and without sinoaortic denervation. The pressor effect of ZnDPBG was similar in rats with and without arterial baroreceptor deafferentation, implying that the increase in pressure is not simply the consequence of attenuated baroreceptor reflex function per se. The possibility that ZnDPBG increases arterial pressure via an effect on the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) also was investigated. ZnDPBG (1 nmol in 100 nL) injected into the NTS of rats increased arterial pressure from 111 +/- 4 to 126 +/- 5 mm Hg, and this effect was reversed by an ipsilateral microinjection of carbon monoxide into the NTS. Accordingly, the pressor effect of ZnDPBG may rely on inhibition of carbon monoxide production in the NTS. This implies that carbon monoxide formed by brain heme oxygenase plays a role in the central regulation of arterial pressure.     

Crystal structure of farnesyl protein transferase complexed with a CaaX peptide and farnesyl diphosphate analogue

The crystallographic structure of acetyl-Cys-Val-Ile-selenoMet-COOH and alpha-hydroxyfarnesylphosphonic acid (alphaHFP) complexed with rat farnesyl protein transferase (FPT) (space group P61, a = b = 174. 13 A, c = 69.71 A, alpha = beta = 90 degrees, gamma = 120 degrees, Rfactor = 21.8%, Rfree = 29.2%, 2.5 A resolution) is reported. In the ternary complex, the bound substrates are within van der Waals contact of each other and the FPT enzyme. alphaHFP binds in an extended conformation in the active-site cavity where positively charged side chains and solvent molecules interact with the phosphate moiety and aromatic side chains pack adjacent to the isoprenoid chain. The backbone of the bound CaaX peptide adopts an extended conformation, and the side chains interact with both FPT and alphaHFP. The cysteine sulfur of the bound peptide coordinates the active-site zinc. Overall, peptide binding and recognition appear to be dominated by side-chain interactions. Comparison of the structures of the ternary complex and unliganded FPT [Park, H., Boduluri, S., Moomaw, J., Casey, P., and Beese, L. (1997) Science 275, 1800-1804] shows that major rearrangements of several active site side chains occur upon substrate binding.     

"Periodic" seizures

PURPOSE: To describe regularly recurring ictal phenomena as recorded in a single patient whose seizure disorder related to a left temporal cavernous angioma. METHODS: Seizures were recorded by left temporal subdural strip electrodes which were bilaterally placed because of ambiguous seizure origin and right temporal memory dysfunction at Wada testing. Seizure length, interseizure intervals, and interseizure onset intervals were visually assessed. The coefficient of variation was used as an estimate of variability in seizure periodicity. RESULTS: Mean seizure durations varied from 68 to 95 s; coefficients of variation varied from 0.08 to 0.18, values similar to other periodic biological phenomena. Mean daily seizure intervals varied from 96 to 152 s with coefficients of variation ranging from 0.12 to 0.35. Interseizure onset intervals had smaller coefficients of variation (0.03-0.20). Manifestations of these simple partial seizures included a rising epigastric sensation and nausea. CONCLUSIONS: Previously described periodic EEG phenomena are interictal events or appear with peripheral events of similar cadence. Therefore, we remain unaware of any documentation of periodic ictal electrographic events. The restricted propagation and duration of these recorded seizures may have simplified their pathophysiology allowing a stereotyped involvement of excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms producing the periodicity.     

Anticonnective tissue and other antitissue 'antibodies' in the sera of patients with coeliac disease compared with the findings in a mixed hospital population

Serum IgG specificities directed against various components of basement membrane and reticulin have been described, and their incidence in 138 patients with coeliac disease has been compared with that in 110 hospital inpatients, 100 normal blood donors, and 1441 other patients. A wide variety of antitissue specificities were observed but only a few appeared to be of any significance. The 'antireticulin' specificities have been subdivided into different groups according to their distinctive histological staining patterns. Specificity directed primarily against endothelial basement membrane was found most frequently in the sera of patients with hiatus hernia (35%) or coeliac disease (22%). The same specificity was also observed in patients with myasthenia gravis and to a lesser extent in Crohn's disease and in a mixed group of patients with unspecified organic gastrointestinal disease. An epithelial basement membrane reactivity was found in patients with rheumatoid arthritis but only rarely in other conditions. Staining of perivascular connective tissue represented a third type of 'antireticulin' specificity. It was found only rarely, although in coeliac disease this reactivity was found more frequently in combination with other connective tissue specificities.     

Effect of furazolidone in feed on immune response of turkeys vaccinated with live Pasteurella multocida in drinking water

In 2 trials, turkey poults were fed diets containing 0.011% furazolidone: in one trial until 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 days before vaccination with live Pasteurella multocida (CU) in the drinking water; and in a second trial with the furazolidone added to the diet 4 days before the vaccination or 1, 3 or 5 days after. This 0.011% level of medication did not appear to reduce the immune response.