Acute hydrocephalus due to Candida meningitis in a 2-month-old infant

A case of triventricular acute hydrocephalus is reported in a 2 month-old male. The etiology was a Candida sepsis with neonatal onset and subacute course of meningitis and arthritis. No immune deficiency was detected and antibiotic treatment appeared to be the only predisposing factor to systemic candidiasis in this neonate. The condition was treated successfully with amphotericin B, fluocytosin and ketoconazole. At follow up, 17 months later, the development of the child appeared normal.     

High dose methylprednisolone in severe acute transverse myelopathy

Accepted 26 October 1996
No effective treatment has been shown for patients with acute transverse myelopathy. In an open study five children with severe acute transverse myelopathy were treated with intravenous methylprednisolone and compared with a historical group of 10 patients. The results show that in the methylprednisolone treatment group compared with the historical group of 10 patients: the median time to walk independently was significantly reduced (23 v 97 days); the proportion of patients with a full recovery within 12 months was significantly higher (80 v 10%); all patients had complete motor recovery within one year in contrast with only two of 10 patients in the historical group; and serious adverse effects did not occur. This pilot study suggests that high dose methylprednisolone is effective in the treatment of acute transverse myelopathy.

     

Effect of cyclosporin A on an experimental chronic viral infection of the central nervous system

The effects of cyclosporin A (CsA) on neuropathological lesions induced by a chronic viral infection have been tested in the experimental model of the mouse hepatitis virus 3 (MHV3) infection. Daily injections of CsA (50 mg/kg) inhibited the expression of the MHV3-induced ependymitis, meningitis, hydrocephalus and vasculitis. The effect was preserved even if CsA treatment was initiated 15 days after virus infection but was lost if CsA treatment was given later on or for a shorter period of time. Viral titers in brains of chronically infected mice were not affected by CsA treatment. During the first week following MHV3 infection, CsA treatment increased both the percentage of acute death (31 vs. 10%) and the viral titers in brain and liver of infected mice. In this model, the timing of CsA treatment appeared critical for the balance between its beneficial effect on CNS lesions and the risk of increased acute mortality.     

Tendon adaptation to bone shortening

The ability of tendon to adapt its length to imposed conditions was tested in rat soleus. Shortening of one tibia left tendon insertions intact, but reduced the distance between them. Tendon lengths were found to decrease after a short period of recovery (1 or 2 months) whether surgery was performed in young or adult animals. Comparison of tibia and tendon length correlation in control rats of different ages and in experimental animals showed that adaptation was more complete in young rats than in adult rats. A long period of recovery seemed to improve adaptation only in young rats. Hydrothermal isometric tension measurements indicated that collagen remodeling occurred during tendon adaptation to bone length, with the process being more marked at the muscle-tendon junction.     

Variations in zearalenone activation in avian food species.

Zearalenone (ZEA), a widely distributed oestrogenic fusariotoxin, constitutes a potential risk for human and animal health. ZEA is metabolised to the main metabolites identified in vitro and in vivo: alpha-zearalenol (alpha-ZOL) and beta-zearalenol (beta-ZOL). The efficiency to produce alpha-reduced metabolites appears of particular interest in risk assessment as alpha-reduced metabolites constitute activated forms whereas beta-reduced metabolites are less oestrogenic than ZEA. In this study ZEA activation was compared in avian food species. ZEA and its reduced metabolites were quantified in subcellular fractions of six avian species and rat livers. The alpha-ZOL/beta-ZOL ratio in rats was 19. The various avian food species cannot be considered to be equivalent in terms of ZEA reduction (P<0.001). Quails represented high "beta reducers", with alpha-ZOL/beta-ZOL ratio less than two. Weak "beta reducers" included on one part ducks and chickens showing alpha-ZOL/beta-ZOL ratio greater than 3 and up to 5.6 and on a second part geese, showing a lower production of alpha-ZOL than other poultry. Comparisons of enzyme kinetics in ducks and in quails show that these variations can be explained by the action of various isoforms of dehydrogenases. These results are relevant to food safety, in the context of frequently inevitable contamination of animal feed.