Agminated fibroblastic connective tissue nevus in a 1‐year‐old boy

Fibroblastic connective tissue nevus (FCTN) is a benign cutaneous mesenchymal lesion characterized by proliferation of CD34‐positive fibroblastic/myofibroblastic spindle‐shaped cells. We report a case of agminated FCTN on the right lower abdomen of a 1‐year‐old boy.     

Effect of ceruletide on microvibration in schizophrenics

Ceruletide, a potent analogue of cholecystokinin, was administered by injection to eight schizophrenics treated with neuroleptics. We examined the dose–response effect on microvibration (MV) recorded from the chin of these patients. After 15 min of bed rest, MV was recorded for 5 min as a control recording. Subsequently, saline or ceruletide, at a dose of either 0.4 m?g/kg or at 0.8 m?g/kg, was injected according to a Latin square design with an interval of 4 weeks for washing out the drug effect and MV was recorded for 30 min. MV data obtained were subjected to the fast Fourier transform and an average power spectrum was computed. A three-way analysis of variance for these data was performed upon dose-effect, time-effect after treatment, and band-effect of the average power spectrum. The present results were similar to previous findings which had revealed effects of ceruletide on tardive dyskinesia symptoms, namely, the effects of ceruletide on MV were different according to the subjects (three cases: facilitation followed by inhibition, three cases: inhibition, two cases: no effects). The dose-response curve of ceruletide appears to be linear in some cases and an inverted U-shape in other cases. Present findings showed small doses of systemically administered ceruletide would modify muscle tonus of schizophrenics under chronic treatment of neuroleptics, and provided further reason for the therapeutic drug of tardive dyskinesia.     

Neutrophil Oxygen Radical Production by Dialysis Membranes

The ability of different dialysis membranes to activate polymorphonuclearneutrophil oxygen radical production was investigated with chemiluminescence.All the six membranes, namely cuprophan, cellulose acetate,polycarbonate, polysulphone, polyacrilonitrile and polymethylmethacrylatewere able to interact with neutrophils and stimulate their oxygenradical production, the highest responses being seen with polyacrilonitrile,polymethylmethacrylate and polycarbonate. To analyse the roleof complement in this interaction, fresh plasma, heat inactivatedand zymosan-activated plasma were added: with fresh plasma oxygenradical production was stimulated on cuprophan, cellulose acetateand polysulphone, not modified on polycarbonate, and decreasedon polyacrilonitrile and polymethylmethacrylate. With heat-inactivatedplasma, the responses were decreased or abrogated on all themembranes except polycarbonate and polymethylmethacrylate, whereaswith zymosanactivated plasma similar responses to fresh plasmawere observed. In addition, when plasma was used to precoatthe membrane, cuprophan, cellulose acetate and polysulphonedisclosed an enhanced neutrophil oxidative burst, while precoatedpolyacrilonitrile and polymethylmethacrylate were less stimulatorythan uncoated membranes. In contrast the precoating of polycarbonatedid not modify oxygen radical production. These data suggestthat neutrophil activation occurs by direct membrane neutrophilinteraction. Plasmatic factors modulate this interaction butcomplement seems involved on cellulosic and polysulphone membranesonly. Therefore, it appears that oxygen radicals produced fromcontact of neutrophils with the dialysis membrane might playan initial and/or additional role in the events occurring atthe initiation of haemodialysis.     

Pressure overload-induced transient oxidative stress mediates perivascular inflammation and cardiac fibrosis through angiotensin II.

Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of various cardiovascular diseases. We have shown that in Wistar rats with a suprarenal aortic constriction (AC), pressure overload-induced transient perivascular inflammation (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 [MCP-1] induction and macrophage accumulation) in the early phase is the determinant of reactive myocardial fibrosis and resultant diastolic dysfunction in the late phase. Thus, we investigated the role of reactive oxygen species production in cardiac remodeling in AC rats. Superoxide production and the footprint of lipid peroxidation were assessed using dihydroethidium staining and immunohistostaining against 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), respectively. In sham rats, dihydroethidium and 4-HNE signals were scarcely found in the heart. At day 3, AC rats showed dihydroethidium signals mainly in the intramyocardial arterial wall, whereas modest 4-HNE staining was observed diffusely in the myocardium. These signals declined to lower levels by day 14 despite sustained hypertension. Chronic administration of a subdepressor dose of an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker candesartan reduced the pressure overload-induced dihydroethidium and 4-HNE signals at day 3. Moreover, candesartan decreased MCP-1 induction and macrophage infiltration at day 3 and prevented myocardial fibrosis at day 14, without affecting left ventricle and myocyte hypertrophy. In conclusion, acute pressure overload induced self-limited superoxide production mainly in the vascular wall. The reactive oxygen species production would contribute to the perivascular inflammation and subsequent myocardial fibrosis. Angiotensin II was suggested to have a pressure-independent effect on the reactive oxygen species production.