Human embryonic stem cells: towards therapies for cardiac disease. Derivation of a Dutch human embryonic stem cell line

Cell transplantation is being discussed as a potential therapy for multiple disorders caused by loss or malfunction of single or at most a few cell types. These include diabetes, Parkinson's disease and myocardial infarction or cardiac failure. However, it is not yet clear whether cells from adult tissues ('adult stem cells') or embryos ('embryonic stem cells') will prove to be the most appropriate replacement cells; most likely, each disease will have its own preferred source. This study presents the background to this discussion and the current state of research in replacement of cardiac tissue, with focus on recent developments using human embryonic stem cells. It also describes a new human embryonic stem cell (HESC) line, NL-HESC1, the first to be derived in the Netherlands, and shows that it forms cardiac cells in a manner comparable with that of hES2 and hES3 cells grown in the same laboratory.     

Effect of nitrofurantoin and methenamine hippurate prophylaxis on bacteria and yeasts in the urine of patients with an indwelling catheter

Nitrofurantoin or methenamine hippurate was given prophylactically to elderly patients without urinary tract infection at the beginning of long-term catheterization (mean 81 days), but it only delayed the appearance of bacteriuria. Escherichia coli was most frequently the first species to appear (≥10⁴/ml) in the urine of 40 patients given methenamine hippurate as well as in the control group (41 patients), whereas in 42 patients treated with nitrofurantoin more resistant species, such as Proteus mirabilis, Providencia spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa most often appeared first. Weekly tests made during the course of catheterization showed that E. coli disappeared from the nitrofurantoin-treated patients, while pseudomonas increased in this group and providencia in the control group. Pseudomonas was isolated more frequently in the nitrofurantoin than other groups. With the exception of klebsiellae, the bacterial strains isolated from the nitrofurantoin group were as sensitive to various antibiotics as were those from other groups. Significantly more samples with growth of yeasts (≥10⁴/ml) were obtained from nitrofurantoin treated than from methenamine hippurate treated patients. Candida albicans was the species of yeasts most often isolated.     

Influence of histamine and pentobarbitone on plasma and CSF vasopressin levels of hypophysectomized rats

Histamine increased vasopressin levels, as measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA), in both cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma of hypophysectomized rats, while histamine enhanced plasma but not CSF levels of vasopressin in sham operated rats. Pentobarbitone increased CSF vasopressin levels in hypophysectomized rats and in sham operated animals. The present data demonstrate that the histamine induced elevation of vasopressin levels in the blood is only temporarily disturbed after hypophysectomy, while the effect of histamine on CSF vasopressin levels of hypophysectomized rats is of a more permanent nature.     

Elektronystagmographische Untersuchungen zur tageszeitlichen und durch verschiedene Bewußtseinsgrade bedingten Variabilität des experimentellen Nystagmus

Ohne ZusammenfassungMit 9 Textabbildungen     

Physiological changes in male competitive cyclists after two weeks of intensified training.

To study the physiological response to heavy training, seven male competitive cyclists intensified their normal training program for two weeks (IIT) in order to achieve a state of short-term overtraining. The subjects underwent a graded cycle ergometer test to exhaustion, an outdoor 8.5 km time trial and a computerized test to study reaction time and visual perception, before, during and after the two weeks of intensified training and after two weeks of recovery. Furthermore subjects kept a daily log in the form of a questionnaire. After two weeks of IIT all subjects showed symptoms of overtraining: the general state of well being declined as indicated by the questionnaire while performances on time trial (mean +/- SEM: 830 +/- 14 sec-871 +/- 19 sec), contests and maximal power output (mean +/- SEM: 336 7 watt-310 +/- 5 watt) declined significantly. Maximal (mean +/- SEM 11.8 +/- 1.1 mmol.l-1-5.9 +/- 0.5 mmol.l-1) and submaximal lactate values were significantly lowered during ergometer test after the IIT, while the workload at the 4 mmol point increased significantly (mean +/- SEM 234 +/- 10 watt-267 +/- 13 watt). Sleeping heart rate increased significantly (mean +/- SEM 49.5 +/- 9.3 BPM-54.3 +/- 8.8 BPM). Maximal heart rate (mean +/- SEM 185 +/- 3 BPM-178 +/- 2 BPM, mean heart rate during the time trial (mean +/- SEM 178 +/- 2 BPM-169 +/- 2 BPM) and VO2max (mean +/- SEM 4801 +/- 121 ml.min-1-4409 +/- 101 ml.min-1) were all significantly lowered by the IIT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Social networks and support in long-term psychiatric patients.

This paper describes quantitative and qualitative aspects of social support in a sample of 40 long-term schizophrenic day patients attending a rehabilitation unit. The influence of symptomatology and experience of life stressors on network and support characteristics was also investigated. The primary networks of these patients were found to be small, comprising on average 7 members, of whom only 3 were seen regularly. Despite this, subjects rated their perceived support as adequate. The secondary networks were of the order of 32. It emerged that greater prevalence of negative symptoms was significantly associated with lower ideal levels of support and this group of patients was significantly less likely to seek support in the event of a life stressor. This may be a protective mechanism to insulate the person from the effects of stressful relationships but at the same time means that they are isolated from potential supports. The clinical implications are discussed in terms of offering optimum support for this marginalized group.     

Educating relatives about schizophrenia

An education program, which was part of a controlled trial of intervention with families of schizophrenic patients, is described and evaluated. The evidence suggests that this kind of education has a role to play in psychosocial intervention. Assessment of its impact should include not only changes in information acquired but also in attitudes.     

Rag expression identifies B and T cell lymphopoietic tissues during the development of common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

The generation of lymphoid cells during carp development was studied by analyzing expression of the recombination activating genes (rag) using in situ hybridization and real time quantitative PCR. These data were combined with immunohistochemistry using the mAb's WCL9 (cortical thymocytes) and WCI12 (B cells). Carp rag-1 and rag-2 showed 90 and 89% amino acid identity, respectively, to the corresponding zebrafish sequences. Rag-1 was first expressed in the thymus at 4 days post-fertilization (dpf), while both rag-1⁺/WCL9⁺ and rag-1⁻/WCL9⁻ areas were distinguished from 1 week post-fertilization (wpf), suggesting early cortex/medulla differentiation. From 6 dpf, rag-1⁺ cells were also present cranio-lateral of the head kidney. From 1 wpf, rag-1/rag-2 was expressed in kidney (together with immunoglobulin heavy chain expression) but not in spleen, while WCI12⁺ cells appeared 1 week later in both organs, suggesting B cell recombination in kidney but not in spleen. Rag-1 expression exceeded rag-2 levels in thymus and in head- and trunk-kidney of juveniles, but this ratio was reversed in head- and trunk-kidney from approximately 16 wpf onwards. Rag-1/rag-2 expression was detected in thymi of animals over 1-year-old, but in kidney only at low levels, indicating life-long new formation of putative T cells but severely reduced formation of B cells in older fish.