DNA neosynthesis in Auerbach plexus ganglia isolated from the rat hypertrophic gut: An electrophoretic analysis

We analysed using electrophoresis the total genomic DNA extracted from isolated Auerbach plexus ganglia of the hypertrophic duodenum upstream from a partial experimental stenosis. Results indicated the presence of two extra-bands migrating below the high molecular weight DNA, suggesting that DNA amplification is the basic mechanism of the DNA neosynthesis previously observed in myenteric neurons.     

Intraoperative Hypothermia in a Patient with Cold Agglutinin Disease

A patient with cold agglutinin disease developed significant hemolysis after surgery because of intraoperative hypothermia. Convective heat losses from exposed viscera may be more significant than realized. A combination of cold-induced shivering heat loss, cold fluids, and long operations in which large surfaces are exposed can cause cardiac arrhythmias. The elderly patient is particularly susceptible to cold exposure and its consequences during surgery. In this situation of a patient with cold agglutinins, and in others with anitbody-related hemolytic disease, control of temperature during surgery is clearly very important.     

Personality traits, cognition and volumetric MRI changes in elderly patients with early-onset depression: A 2-year follow-up study

Previous studies revealed personality changes in elderly patients with early-onset depression (EOD) that persist in euthymic stages. However, depression in older patients is a complex disorder that may affect not only personality, but also cognition and brain structure. To address this issue, a cross-sectional comparison and 2-year follow-up of 28 EOD elderly patients and 48 healthy controls included detailed neurocognitive assessment, estimates of brain volumes in limbic areas and white matter hyperintensities, as well as evaluation of the Five Factor Model of personality, in a remitted mood state. Results revealed that cognitive performances as well as brain volumes were preserved in EOD patients both at baseline and at follow-up. The increased Neuroticism factor and Anxiety facet scores as well as the decreased Warmth and Positive Emotions facet scores found at baseline reached the level of healthy controls after 2years. Only the Depression facet scores remained significantly higher in EOD patients compared to controls upon follow-up. Results were independent of depressive relapse since baseline (25% of patients). These findings suggest that both cognitive performances and brain volumes show long-term preservation in older EOD patients. In contrast, the depression-related personality facet might be a trait like marker that persists in the long-term evolution of this disorder.