Esthesioneuroblastoma in a young child. Case report

Esthesioneuroblastoma is an uncommon malignant neoplasm that arises from olfactory mucosa, often with intracranial extension.A case report of the youngest victim in the literature (2-year-old boy) is presented.     

Pathological changes in testes and liver of male albino rats after dermal exposure to DDVP insecticide.

Exposure of male albino rats to DDVP insecticide at sublethal dose of 30 mg/kg/day through dermal painting for a period of 90 days didn't show any intoxication symptoms or mortality. However, cytopathological changes in testicular and liver tissues were evident. There was a positive correlation between the degree of cellular damage and the period of insecticide administration. In general, damages were prominent in rats treated for 30 days or more. Histological examination of testes showed degenerative seminiferous tubules and fewer leydig cells. Hepatic cells were congested, atrophied and showed different stages of necrobiotic changes. This suggests a great care and caution for workers during different phases of DDVP insecticide handling.     

Effects of endurance exercise on the morphology of mouse neuromuscular junctions during ageing

Summary It has been suggested that age changes in the morphology of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) may reflect altered physical activity levels rather than the unique effects of ageing. Additionally, previous studies have indicated that the structure of the NMJ may be modulated with exercise. To investigate these questions, quantitative morphometry was determined on soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) nerve terminals stained with zinc iodide-osmium from C57BL/6NNia mice under control and endurance exercised conditions at 12, 18 and 24 months of age.As previously observed, the area, perimeter, extent length and branch number of nerve terminals increased with age in both soleus and EDL. The changes were similar between the muscle types, although the changes were more pronounced in the phasic EDL. In 12-month-old animals, 2 months of endurance exercise resulted in significantly larger nerve terminals in both soleus and EDL, suggesting a functional adaptation. Exercised 18- and 24-month-old nerve terminals were smaller than corresponding controls, which indicated that exercise minimized or prevented further age-related nerve terminal elaboration. At all ages the exercised nerve terminals comprised a more homogeneous population than corresponding controls, which indicates that uniform physical activity can modulate NMJ morphometry. The magnitude of the changes suggests that subtle alterations in normal cage activity with advancing age do not have a significant effect on the morphology of nerve terminals. However, the morphology of the NMJ does change significantly in response to physical exercise training.     

Bone scintigraphy in tuberculous sacroiliitis

Radionuclide bone imaging is becoming increasingly important in the evaluation of musculoskeletal pain of uncertain cause. A case in which Tc-99m MDP bone imaging was employed to investigate complaints of low back pain is presented. Scan abnormalities directed clinicians towards appropriate further workup and diagnosis of unilateral tuberculous sacroiliitis.     

Establishment and characterization of a new human Burkitt's lymphoma cell line (WSU-BL)

A new human cell line, WSU-BL, was established from a malignant ascitic fluid occurring in a patient with Burkitt's lymphoma. The established line grows in a single-cell suspension with a doubling time of 19 hours and expresses L3 morphologic features by the French-American-British classification. Immunologic study revealed that WSU-BL cells express IgM-lambda both in the cytoplasm and on the surface and react with monoclonal antibodies to B-cell antigens (B1, B4, BL3, BL4, HLA-DR, and common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen [CALLA]). These cells are negative for T-cell and myeloid/monocyte antigens as well as Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA). These results suggest that WSU-BL corresponds to an intermediate stage of B-cell differentiation. Both fresh tumor and WSU-BL cells had a hyperdiploid karyotype carrying the 8;14 chromosome translocation. Molecular studies showed that WSU-BL has a rearrangement of c-myc proto-oncogene and expresses c-myc RNA. Phorbol ester 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were able to induce several phenotypic changes on WSU-BL cells. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of total cellular protein showed that either TPA or IFN-gamma induced both the synthesis or loss of several proteins. Analysis of the protein patterns indicated that some proteins were uniquely responsive to either TPA or IFN-gamma and others were common to both. This cell line should be valuable for future studies of cell proliferation, differentiation, and oncogenesis concerning this neoplasm.     

Neurotoxic effects of MDMA (“ecstasy”) administration to neonatal rats

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine damages fine serotonergic fibers and nerve terminals in adult organisms. Developing animals seem to be less susceptible to this effect, possibly due to a lack of drug-induced hyperthermia. We tested this hypothesis by producing hyperthermia in neonatal rats for 2 h after each of twice-daily MDMA (10 mg/kg s.c.) or saline injections administered from postnatal days 1–4. Other drug-treated and control litters were maintained at normothermic temperatures following injection. Changes in forebrain serotonergic innervation were assessed at postnatal day 25 (serotonin transporter binding and serotonin levels), postnatal day 60 (serotonin transporter binding), and 9 months of age (serotonin transporter immunohistochemistry). We also determined the influence of MDMA treatment on apoptotic activity by means of immunohistochemistry for cleaved caspase-3 at postnatal day 5. The hippocampus showed significant MDMA-related reductions in serotonergic markers at postnatal day 25 and postnatal day 60. At 9 months, there was no effect of prior MDMA exposure on serotonin transporter-immunoreactive fiber density in the hippocampus; however, significant reductions in fiber density were observed in two neocortical areas and a hyperinnervation was found in the caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens shell. MDMA treatment also produced a two-fold increase in the number of cleaved caspase-3-immunoreactive cells in the rostral forebrain and hippocampus. All of these effects were completely independent of pup body temperature. These findings demonstrate that neonatal MDMA administration exposure stimulates apoptotic cell death in various forebrain areas and also leads to a long-term reorganization of the forebrain serotonergic innervation. Consequently, offspring of MDMA-using women may be at heightened risk for abnormal neural and behavioral development.     

Hemoperitoneum secondary to rupture of cystic artery pseudoaneurysm

BACKGROUND:Spontaneous hemoperitoneum of hepato- biliary origin is commonly due to hemorrhage from a liver tumor.It is rarely caused by spontaneous rupture of aneurysm in visceral arteries. METHODS:We report an unusual case of hemoperitoneum caused by rupture of cystic artery pseudoaneurysm,and also outline the approach to its management through surgical and radiological methods. RESULTS:In our patient,the pseudoanurysm was initially treated with percutaneous thrombin injection.However this method of treatment failed after initial success.The pseudoanurysm was finally obliterated successfully using microcoil embolization. CONCLUSIONS:The mainstay of treatment of cystic artery pseudoaneurysm is cholecystectomy and ligation of the aneurysm.Recent publications showed success in using microcoil embolisation.In this case we also outline the use of percutaneous thrombin injection as a definitive treatment method and discuss its success or failure as a new method of treatment.     

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) supplemented St. Thomas' hospital cardioplegic solution improves the antioxidant defense system of rat myocardium during ischemia-reperfusion injury.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF STUDY: Cardioplegic arrest remains the method of choice for myocardial protection in cardiac surgery. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) prevents lipid peroxidation induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury and has a potent antioxidant property. We investigated the advantages of CAPE supplemented cardioplegic solution (St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegic solution No.: 2) on the antioxidant defense system of myocardium against ischemia-reperfusion injury. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Isolated rat hearts were mounted on a nonrecirculating type of Langendorff apparatus. The hearts were arrested for 60 min with cardioplegic solution given at 20-min intervals and then reperfused for 15 min. The hearts were divided into three groups. Cold saline (0.9%, 4 degrees C) in group 1, St. Thomas' Hospital solution in group 2 and CAPE added St. Thomas' Hospital solution in group 3 were used as the cardioplegic solution. Krebs-Henseleit buffer solution was used for reperfusion. The tissues were examined biochemically for oxidative stress. RESULTS: Significant differences among the three groups existed in tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO), catalase (CAT), Na+-K+ ATPase activity and in the concentrations of malonydealdehyde (MDA) and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT). Group 2 showed significant changes in MPO (P = 0.04), Na+-K+ ATPase enzyme activity (P = 0.02) and the levels of MDA (P = 0.004) and 3-NT (P = 0.01) in comparison with group 1. Group 3 efficiently reduced MDA levels (P = 0.004) and also led to significant decrease in levels of MPO (P = 0.006), 3-NT (P = 0.01) and Na+-K+ ATPase activity (P = 0.01) and increase in the level of CAT (P = 0.004) in comparison with group 1. Significant changes were also found in the levels of MDA (P = 0.03), MPO (P = 0.04) and CAT (P = 0.009) in comparison between groups 2 and 3. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that the administration of CAPE into cardioplegic solutions improves the antioxidant defense system of rat heart during the ischemia-reperfusion injury.     

Screening of the antiradical action of vegetable oils

Information on radical scavenging activity (RSA) and antioxidant potential of vegetable oils are not reported, or reporting has been rather limited. Such data is of importance for the evaluation of nutritional and health impact of these oils. The main objective of this short study was to compare the antiradical performance of some common and unusual vegetable oils. The described arrangement for our simple experiment uses the addition of stable radicals 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) to vegetable oils, which are decomposed by components having antioxidant properties. The order of effectiveness of oils in inhibiting free radicals was as follows: coriander>blackcumin>cottonseed>peanut>sunflower>walnut>hemp seed>linseed>olive>niger seed. This initial survey might serve as a springboard for future research into this area.     

No increase in carcinogen-DNA adducts in the lungs of monkeys exposed chronically to marijuana smoke.

Rhesus monkeys exposed to marijuana smoke either 7 or 2 days/weeks (HI and LO groups, respectively), or ethanol-extracted marijuana smoke for 7 days/week (EM) or sham treatment (SH) for 1 year were sacrificed 7 months following the last exposure. Pulmonary levels of carcinogen-DNA adducts were determined. Although mean or median adduct levels were not statistically different, 15 of 22 adduct measures were highest in the EM group and lowest 12 of 22 times in the SH group. The levels of aromatic carcinogen-DNA adducts seem no higher in the lungs of animals exposed to marijuana smoke than in untreated animals. Ethanol-extracted marijuana may have effects greater than marijuana itself.