The pharmacotherapy of major depressive syndrome: Part 2: Prophylaxis of recurrent depressive illness

The authors stress the importance of documenting the presence of recurrent depressive illness before placing a patient on maintenance therapy. The evidence for lithium's effectiveness as a prophylactic agent for patients with manic-depressive illness is discussed and compared with evidence on tricyclic antidepressants and other agents. The authors caution that the risk of side-effects and of toxicity must be carefully weighed against the possible value of lithium therapy.     

Viral infections of the autonomic nervous system and its target organs: Pathogenetic mechanicsms

The possibility that viruses can infect the peripheral autonomic nervous system (ANS) and cause a variety of acute, chronic or recurrent diseases, including such disorders as peptic ulcer, is proposed. By altering the functional activity of autonomic neurons or by seeding the target organs of these neurons with virus, infection of the ANS may produce a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. Whether these manifestations are anatomically circumscribed or widespread will depend upon the route by which autonomic infection is acquired as well as the character of interaction between the virus and the infected autonomic neuron. In addition, it is proposed that autonomic ganglia may serve as reservoirs of latent viruses, insuring their preservation and intermittent transmission in the human community.     

Effect of procarbazine and cyclophosphamide on chromosome breakage in Fanconi anemia cells: relevance to bone marrow transplantation

Fanconi anemia (FA) patients develop stem cell defect-based pancytopenia for which bone marrow transplantation offers the potential for correction. Recently, it has become apparent that the outcome of marrow transplantation in FA patients is poor because of the hypersensitivity of these patients to the pretransplantation conditioning regimen which includes immunosuppression with high doses of the difunctional alkylating agent cyclophosphamide. In an effort to devise a less toxic immunosuppressive regimen, we compared the clastogenic effect of cyclophosphamide with that of procarbazine in cells from FA patients and normal controls. Activation of the drugs was achieved by two alternative methods, either by injection into rats (the in vivo activation method) or by incubation with a rat-liver microsome system (the in vitro activation method). Increased sister chromatid exchange following treatment of cells with cyclophosphamide or procarbazine was used as an indicator for the presence of activated drug metabolites in the system. Although FA cells were hypersensitive to the clastogenic effect of cyclophosphamide, they were not more sensitive than normal cell to procarbazine-induced chromosome breakage. Procarbazine may thus be a safer drug than cyclophosphamide for conditioning FA patients for bone marrow transplantation.     

The pharmacotherapy of major depressive syndrome Part 1: Treatment of acute depression

After listing the diagnostic criteria for major depressive syndrome (which comprises involutional melancholia, manic-depressive illness, and psychotic depressive reaction), the authors offer guidelines for choosing among the tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, psychomotor stimulants, lithium, and other agents for these conditions. The relatively lengthy course of an acute depressive episode, they suggest, allows time to find the most effective drug for each patient.     

Replication of mouse mammary tumor virus in tissue culture. II. Kinetics of virus production and the effect of RNA and protein inhibitors on viral synthesis.

The incorporation of virus-specific RNA into mouse mammary tumor virus (MuMTV) was studied using an established mouse mammary tumor cell line (MuMT-73). Two species of RNA (70 and 35 S) were found to be virus specific by molecular hybridization using radioactive MuMTV-complementary DNA as a probe. The time between the addition of [³H]uridine and the initial release of virions continued to increase RNA was found to be 2 to 4 hr. The rate of release of labeled virions continued to increase for 20–30 hr before a steady state was reached. Actinomycin D treatment of the cells completely inhibited viral RNA synthesis within 1 hr; however, synthesis of the viral proteins and the release of mature virions continued for at least 10 hr. The morphology and protein composition of the virus particles produced by the MuMT-73 cells with and without actinomycin D treatment were identical. Exposure of cells to puromycin or cycloheximide inhibited the replication of MuMTV, but such treatments induced the production of an endogenous type-C virus.     

我国异常血红蛋白研究─9例Hb New York β 113（G15）Val－Glu的一级结构分析

本文报道了９例Ｈｂ　Ｎｅｗ　Ｙｏｒｋ　β１１３（Ｇ１５）Ｖａｌ－Ｇｌｕ的异常血红蛋白，这在国内的贵州、福建、特别是在北方的河南尚无报道，并且在侗族中尚属首次报道。     

An attenuated mutant of Venezuelan encephalitis virus: Biochemical alterations and their genetic association with attenuation

A temperature-sensitive mutant of Venezuelan encephalitis virus derived by chemical mutagenesis from the hamster-virulent 68U201 wild-type (wt) strain was previously found to be attenuated. This mutant, is 126, replicated in infected hamsters and elicited production of protective antibodies. Further phenotypic differences between is 126 and 68U201 wt have been characterized in an attempt to localize the genetic basis of the mutant's attenuated virulence. The mutant was shown to differ from the parent virus with respect to virion surface structure-dependent characteristics: temperature lability, plaque sizes in Vero cells, and binding properties to hydroxylapatite. The surface difference was identified by isoelectric focusing of the virion envelope glycoproteins as an alteration in the E₁ glycoprotein. The common genetic basis of all these phenotypic differences was demonstrated by the isolation of independently arising, stable genetic revertants of ts 126, which exhibited characteristics identical in every respect to 68U201 wt. It appears from these studies that the mutation which gave rise to the is 126 mutant virus occurred in the structural gene coding for the E₁ envelope glycoprotein and that the resultant phenotypic alteration in this glycoprotein is genetically associated with the mutant's lack of virulence.     

Psychiatric consultation with the ambivalent cancer surgery candidate

The psychiatric consultant to a surgical oncology service confronts a variety of complex clinical situations. Two case histories illustrate how to assess a patient's ambivalence regarding proposed radical surgery. The procedures–pelvic exenteration and colostomy in one patient and radium implantation and palliative lung surgery in the other–were potentially life-prolonging or curative. The authors recommend that the psychiatric consultant assume a neutral stance while exploring the patient's coping mechanisms, defenses, primary conflicts, ego functioning, and approach to decision making. The patient should also be informed about the usual sequelae.     

Characterization of a coronavirus: I. Structural proteins: Effects of preparative conditions on the migration of protein in polyacrylamide gels

Coronavirus A59 possesses four size classes of structural proteins which have apparent molecular weights measured by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of 23,000 (GP23), 50,000 (VP50), 90,000 (GP90), and 180,000 (GP180). VP50 is the only structural protein which is completely unaffected by protease treatment of intact virions. This species is the most highly labeled by polar amino acids such as glutamic acid and arginine and it is probably associated with the viral nucleocapsid. GP90, GP180, and GP23 are membrane-associated proteins. However, after protease treatment of virions, only 20% of the GP23 molecule is digested, whereas all of the GP90 and GP180 are removed. GP90 and GP180 appear to comprise most of the prominent layer of characteristic projections on the external surface of the viral envelope. The major portion of GP23 is presumed to lie within the lipid envelope, protected from protease digestion. GP23 and the protease resistant portion, p¹18, exhibit anomalous behavior on SDS-PAGE. After heating to 100° in SDS the electrophoretic mobility of these polypeptides is altered and several new forms of lower mobility are produced. β-Mercaptoethanol and dithiothreitol exaggerate the effects of heating.     

Characterization of a coronavirus: II. Glycoproteins of the viral envelope: Tryptic peptide analysis

Two species of membrane-associated glycoproteins have been identified in the coronavirus virion. They are readily distinguished on the basis of size, radiolabeling characteristics, and location in relation to the lipid bilayer. The larger glycoprotein is highly labeled by both radiolabeled fucose and glucosamine. This species is found in two forms, GP180 and GP90, with apparent molecular weights of 180,000 and 90,000. GP180 can be converted to GP90 in vitro by treatment of virions with trypsin. Analysis of tryptic digests of GP90 and GP180 give identical peptide patterns. Based on pronase and bromelain sensitivities, GP180/90 is the only protein which is located entirely external to the viral envelope. It appears to comprise the characteristic long, petal-shaped peplomers of the virion. The smaller glycoprotein, GP23, has an apparent molecular weight of 23,000 and is labeled by radiolabeled glucosamine but not by fucose. The level of glucosamine-labeling of GP23 is about 1/10 that of GP180/90. GP23 appears to possess two distinct domains: a smaller, carbohydrate containing region which is found outside the viral envelope, and a larger portion, highly labeled by methionine, which is integrally associated with the viral membrane. A new nomenclature is proposed for the three major coronavirus structural proteins. The two envelope glycoproteins, GP23 and GP180/90 are designated E1 and E2, respectively; the inner core protein, VP50, is designated N.     

Use of lithium in children and adolescents

The evidence for lithium's efficacy in psychiatric disorders of children and adolescents is surveyed, with discussion of the results of short- and long-term maintenance treatment and side effects. Because most reports are not well-documented and/or have methodologic flaws, at present, clear recommendations for use of lithium in this population cannot be given. However, there is some suggestion that behavioral symptoms, particularly aggressiveness, if accompanied by a strong affective-explosive component, decrease with lithium administration.     

Isolation and Characterization of Temperature-Sensitive Mutants of Venezuelan Encephalitis Virus

Ten temperature-sensitive mutants of Venezuelan encephalitis virus were derived from a hamster-virulent strain by treatment with N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Three mutants were relatively thermolabile, and four were RNA^?. No mutant induced cytopathology in cell cultures infected at a restrictive temperature.     

X-linkage in bipolar affective illness: Perspectives on genetic heterogeneity,pedigree analysis and the X-chromosome map

The search for genetic markers is a powerful strategy in psychiatric genetics. The present article examines four areas relevant to discrepancies among X-linkage studies in bipolar affective disorder. These are questions of ascertainment, analytic methods, the X-chromosome map and genetic heterogeneity. The following conclusions are reached: (a) Positive linkage findings cannot be attributed to ascertainment bias or association between affective illness and colorblindness. (b) The possibility that falsely positive linkage results were obtained by using inappropriate analytic methods is ruled out. (c) Reported linkages of bipolar illness to colorblind and G6PD loci are compatible with known map distances between X-chromosome loci. Linkage to the Xg antigen remains uncertain. (d) The discrepancy among the various data sets on affective illness and colorblindness is best explained by significant linkage heterogeneity among pedigrees informative for the two traits.     

Late positive component correlates of verbal and visuospatial processing

Bilateral VERs were elicited by letter stimuli requiring verbal processing and patterns requiring visuospatial processing in a go/no-go reaction time paradigm. The VERS were formed separately to the targets and non-targets of each stimulus type. No VER component displayed hemisphere asymmetries which varied in a task-dependent fashion. However P150 latency was found to be shorter, and N150 amplitude larger, in VERs recorded from the right hemisphere. This is considered to reflect the superiority of the right hemisphere for the early stages of the processing of visual input. P400 latency was shorter and its amplitude larger to the pattern stimuli. In addition, subjects' reaction times were shorter to these stimuli. These results were interpreted in evidence supporting the notion that the late positive component of the ER reflects processes of stimulus evaluation which are not necessarily correlated with those of response selection and execution.     

Dyssegmental dwarfism: a histologic study of osseous and nonosseous cartilage

Dyssegmental dwarfism is probably an autosomal recessive, lethal, generalized chondrodysplasia; it is characterized by anisospondyly , shortening of long bones, and narrow chest. Maturation of chondrocytes at the epiphyseal plates is disturbed. The pathologic features of osseous and nonosseous cartilage in a stillborn female infant with dyssegmental dwarfism are described. The cartilage matrix of tubular bones, vertebrae, ilia , ribs, nose, larynx, and trachea showed acellular areas with accumulation of acid mucopolysaccharides and no increase in collagen fibers. The findings, although not pathognomonic, suggest that this type of dwarfism may be a generalized connective tissue disorder. The abnormal synthesis, structure, or secretion of the components of the cartilaginous matrix may lead to accumulation of acellular material in both skeletal and respiratory tract cartilage.