Environmental and developmental signals modulate proline homeostasis: evidence for a negative transcriptional regulator.

In many plants, osmotic stress induces a rapid accumulation of proline through de novo synthesis from glutamate. This response is thought to play a pivotal role in osmotic stress tolerance [Kishor, P. B. K., Hong, Z., Miao, G.-H., Hu, C.-A. A. and Verma, D. P. S. (1995) Plant Physiol. 108, 1387-1394]. During recovery from osmotic stress, accumulated proline is rapidly oxidized to glutamate and the first step of this process is catalyzed by proline oxidase. We have isolated a full-length cDNA from Arabidopsis thaliana, At-POX, which maps to a single locus on chromosome 3 and that encodes a predicted polypeptide of 499 amino acids showing significant similarity with proline oxidase sequences from Drosophila and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (55.5% and 45.1%, respectively). The predicted location of the encoded polypeptide is the inner mitochondrial membrane. RNA gel blot analysis revealed that At-POX mRNA levels declined rapidly upon osmotic stress and this decline preceded proline accumulation. On the other hand, At-POX mRNA levels rapidly increased during recovery. Free proline, exogenously added to plants, was found to be an effective inducer of At-POX expression; indeed, At-POX was highly expressed in flowers and mature seeds where the proline level is higher relative to other organs of Arabidopsis. Our results indicate that stress- and developmentally derived signals interact to determine proline homeostasis in Arabidopsis.     

Parity and bone mineral density in middle-aged women

A retrospective study was carried out to determine the relationship between parity and bone mineral density (BMD) in middle-aged women. Eight hundred and twenty-five woman aged 41–76 years were recruited from four general practice registers in Cambridge. Subjects were unselected as to their health status. Each subject completed a detailed health questionnaire. Participation rate was 50%. The main outcome measure was BMD measured at the spine (L2–4,n=825) and hip (neck, intertrochanter and Ward's triangle;n=817) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) using the Hologic QDR-1000 densitometer. It was found that the unadjusted mean BMD was significantly higher at all sites among the parous women (p=0.031 to <0.00001), and remained significantly higher at the femoral neck (p=0.025), intertrochanter (p=0.001) and Ward's triangle (p=0.045) after adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI). Similar findings were seen after stratifying for potential confounding variables. There was a consistent upward trend of BMD with increasing parity at all sites. Parity remained a significant independent predictor of BMD at all sites after controlling for age, BMI, menopausal status, oral contraceptive and hormone replacement therapy use, smoking status and breast-feeding status in multiple linear regression analyses. There was, on average, a 1.0% increase in BMD per live birth. Our findings therefore suggest a positive relationship between parity and bone mass.     

The acceleration transducer – an assessment of its precision in comparison with a force displacement transducer

A new and simple acceleration transducer (ACT)–based system of neuromuscular monitoring has recently been introduced. The precision of this transducer has been evaluated as compared to a conventional force displacement transducer (FDT) in the present study. Ten progressions of spontaneous recovery from atracurium–induced block with simultaneous measurements using the ACT on one hand and the FDT on the other were studied. Five individuals undergoing elective surgery in modified neurolept anaesthesia and one ICU–patient requiring prolonged neuromuscular blockade, sedated with pentobarbital, were included. Measurements were carried out on the latter patient on 5 consecutive days. Train–of–four (TOF) stimulation was used, readings were given in twitch heights (TH) (Tl/control value), and when four responses were obtained in TOF–ratios (T4/T1). Linearity was achieved after logit–transformation and the values regressed on time for each progression of recovery. Analysis of variance was applied to the regressions for the TH and TOF–ratio readings of each transducer. No significant differences were found, either between variation due to differences between slopes or variation due to technical error between the two transducers. The study indicates that the ACT is equal to the FDT with regard to precision in clinical recordings on atracuriumrelaxed individuals.     

Galanin-like innervation of rat submandibular and sublingual salivary glands: origin and effect on acinar cell membranes.

The distribution and source of a galanin-like innervation of rat salivary glands has been examined. Additionally, submandibular and sublingual acinar cell membrane responses to galanin or a cholinergic agonist were studied. Galanin-immunoreactive fibers were observed throughout the submandibular and sublingual glands in association with ducts and acini. A subset of submandibular ganglion cells expresses galanin immunoreactivity. Parasympathectomy resulted in a marked decrease in galanin immunoreactivity in the glands. Sympathectomy resulted in marked reduction of dopamine beta-hydroxylase immunoreactivity with no appreciable change in galanin immunoreactivity. Retrograde labeling experiments demonstrated that galanin-immunoreactive sensory neurons in the trigeminal ganglion do not innervate the submandibular or sublingual gland. These results indicate that the galanin-like innervation of rat salivary glands is derived from parasympathetic nerves to the glands. Since rat sublingual glands contain largely mucous acini while rat submandibular gland acini are seromucous, electrophysiological responses to galanin and the muscarinic agonist, bethanechol, were compared. Agonist-induced voltage shifts varied between the two glands. The galanin-induced response at the level of the resting membrane potential in submandibular acinar cells was a hyperpolarization, while that in sublingual acinar cells was a depolarization. There was also a greater voltage dependence to the galanin-induced submandibular response than to the sublingual response. Differences were also noted in the acinar cell response to cholinergic stimulation between these glands. These results demonstrate the existence of a galanin-like innervation to salivary glands that may be functionally relevant. Moreover, the results challenge the idea that agonist-induced membrane responses are similar among acinar cells of different glands.     

Mündung eines Megaureters mit aplastischer Niere in eine Samenblasenzyste Fallbericht einer laparoskopischen Intervention

Zusammenfassung Unilaterale Samenblasenzyste, ipsilaterale Ureterektopie und ipsilaterale Nierenaplasie sind die Komponenten eines seltenen Missbildungskomplexes des männlichen Urogenitaltraktes. Klinisch im Vordergrund steht eine retrovesikale zystische Raumforderung im kleinen Becken, die unspezifische Symptome verursachen kann. Die Differentialdiagnose umfasst u. a. Zysten des Müller-Ganges, des Sinus urogenitales bzw. des Ductus ejaculatorius und der Prostata. Es wird der Fall eines 14-jährigen Jungen mit zystischer linker Samenblase dargestellt. Präoperativ bestand der Verdacht auf eine ipsilaterale Nierenagenesie, jedoch stellte sich intraoperativ eine Nierenaplasie mit ektoper Harnleitermündung in die Samenblase dar. Die 8 cm große Samenblase und die ipsilaterale aplastische Niere konnten erfolgreich durch einen laparoskopischen Eingriff entfernt werden. Vorteile des laparoskopischen Vorgehens im Vergleich mit der offen-chirurgischen Technik sind in der besseren Darstellung der intrapelvinen Strukturen, dem kurzen Krankenhausaufenthalt und in der schnellen Rekonvaleszenz des Patienten zu sehen. Anhand der Literatur wird auf Klinik, Diagnostik, Differentialdiagnose und therapeutisches Vorgehen dieser Anomalie eingegangen.     

Push-and-pull enteroscopy using the double-balloon technique/double-balloon enteroscopy

Push-and-Pull enteroscopy/Double balloon enteroscopy (PPE/DBE) allows enteroscopy of the entire small bowel, or at least a substantial part of it. The complication rate is acceptably low. Severe complications such as pancreatitis and perforation were encountered in the literature in approximately 1% of all diagnostic PPE/DBEs. It can be expected that the complication rate of therapeutic PPE/DBEs is higher, comparable with the conventional endoscopy. The diagnostic yield is high, at approximately 75%, as is the therapeutic yield. The option of carrying out endoscopic therapy (in approximately 40%–50% of cases in the Western hemisphere) is an important aspect. Angiodysplasias are the main bleeding source, at least in Western countries. Using the PPE/DBE device, endoscopic treatments such as endoscopic hemostasis using injection and argon plasma coagulation, polypectomy, endoscopic resection, balloon dilation, and foreign-body extraction have become feasible even in the small intestine and can generally be performed safely and without relevant technical problems. Medical therapy can be started in up to 20% of cases—e.g., after a new or changed diagnosis of Crohn's disease. Surgical therapy is required in 10–20% of cases, due to malignant tumors or complex stenoses, for example. The main indication is mid-gastrointestinal bleeding.     

What is the prognostic value of myocardial perfusion imaging using rubidium-82 positron emission tomography?

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to determine the prognostic value of rubidium-82 (82Rb) positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). BACKGROUND: 82Rb PET MPI accurately diagnoses coronary artery disease (CAD). However, there are limited data evaluating its prognostic value. METHODS: Follow-up (3.1 +/- 0.9 years) was obtained in 367 patients who underwent dipyridamole 82Rb PET MPI. Patients were divided into groups based on their summed stress score (SSS): group I, normal (<4); group II, mild (4 to 7); and group III, moderate (8 to 11) to severe (> or =12). RESULTS: There were significant differences among patients in the 3 SSS groups for hard events (cardiac death and myocardial infarction [MI]) (p < 0.001) and total cardiac events (hard events, revascularization and hospitalization) (p < 0.001). The annual hard events rates were 0.4%, 2.3%, and 7.0% in the normal, mild, and moderate-severe groups, respectively. In adjusted survival models, 82Rb PET SSS was the strongest predictor of total cardiac events and a significant predictor of hard events. Among patients referred for PET after 99mTc single-photon emission computed tomography, the annual total event rate was higher with abnormal versus normal SSS on PET (15.2% vs. 1.3%, p < 0.001). In patients with obesity, the annual total event rate was 11.1% with an abnormal scan and 1.5% with a normal scan (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that 82Rb PET MPI has significant prognostic value for predicting cardiac events, including death and MI. It also seems to have prognostic value in patients whose diagnosis remains uncertain after single-photon emission computed tomography MPI and in obese patients. The prognostic value of PET MPI may improve the management of cardiac patients.     

Cerebrospinal fluid cholinesterases in aging and in dementia of the Alzheimer type

Protein concentration and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activities were assayed in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 26 healthy normal subjects (20-86 years old), 27 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT), and 10 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type with extrapyramidal signs (EDAT). In normal subjects, there was an age-related increase in CSF protein and AChE activity and a significant correlation (p less than 0.001) between CSF protein and BChE activity. In the DAT and EDAT groups, CSF AChE activities (mean +/- SD = 17.5 +/- 3.6 and 15.3 +/- 4.4 nmol/min/ml, respectively) were significantly lower (p less than 0.05) than in 13 age-matched control subjects (21.5 +/- 5.6 nmol/min/ml). In contrast, neither CSF protein concentration, BChE activity, nor the ratio of AChE/BChE differed significantly between groups. In patients with DAT, CSF AChE activity was significantly lower (p less than 0.05) in subjects with an early onset compared to those with a late onset (16.4 +/- 3.4 and 19.7 +/- 2.8 nmol/min/ml, respectively), and activity in the latter group did not differ significantly from control values. CSF AChE activity was not related to dementia severity and did not change significantly over an 18-month period. Although these results confirm a cholinergic deficit in patients with DAT, the considerable overlap of CSF AChE activity between groups and the nonsignificant correlation between AChE activity and dementia severity limit the usefulness of CSF AChE as a diagnostic marker of this disorder.     

Orbital apex syndrome after penetrating orbital trauma

Orbital trauma may be associated with various visual and ocular motility disturbances. We describe a case of orbital apex syndrome after penetrating orbital trauma.