Bone sodium exchange

Sodium exchange in chick bone has been studied on control, rachitic and rachitic treated with vitamin D₃ animals. The rachitic bone, which shows increased water content, has similar bone exchange than that of their age control group. Vitamin D₃ treatment of rachitic chicks was followed by a decrease in bone water content and increase in bone sodium exchange.

---

Zusammenfassung Der Natriumaustausch in Kükenknochen wurde bei Kontroll-und rachitischen Tieren sowie bei rachitischen, mit Vitamin D₃ behandelten Tieren untersucht. Der rachitische Knochen, der einen erhöhten Wassergehalt aufweist, hat einen ähnlichen Natriumaustausch wie der Knochen gleichaltriger Kontrolltiere. Die Behandlung von rachitischen Küken mit Vitamin D₃ bewirkte eine Abnahme des Wassergehaltes im Knochen und eine Zunahme des Natriumaustausches.

---

Résumé Les échanges du sodium au niveau d'os de poulet ont été étudiés chez des animaux témoins, rachitiques et reachitiques traités par vitamine D₃. L'os reachitique présente une augmentation du contenu en eau, avec des échanges en sodium osseux identiques à ceux des témoins, de mêne âge. L'administration de vitamine D₃ à des poulets rachitiques est suivie par une décroissance du contenu de l'os en eau et par une augmentation des échanges du sodium osseux.

     

Fragile X syndrome: associated neurological abnormalities and developmental disabilities

The fragile X syndrome is a frequent cause of developmental disabilities. It is associated primarily with nonprogressive X-linked mental retardation. The neurodevelopmental abnormalities of 25 males and 3 females are described. Mental retardation was mild in 4, moderate in 11, severe in 6, and profound in 2 patients, while 4 patients had only learning disabilities. The presence or absence of a developmental disability could not be determined in the youngest (8 months). Seven patients had had infantile autism and 7 had epilepsy. Generally no major focal neurological abnormalities were observed but most of the patients exhibited minor signs. The severity of developmental disabilities in our patients varied between and within families and between genders. All adult males had macroorchidism. Unusual facial features were present in 13 males but none were seen in the females. Familial occurrences were found in 18 cases (64%); 10 cases (36%) were sporadic. Overall, males were more severely affected than females. Diagnostic tests including computed tomographic scans, electroencephalograms, and evoked potentials did not disclose any specific abnormalities.     

Misuse of Heroin and Methadone in the City of Oxford

Home Office statistics provide some evidence of the rapid growth of heroin abuse. In 1960 there were 63 known addicts in the age group 34 years and under, and by 1968, when notification of addiction to heroin was made compulsory under the Notification of Addicts' Act, the number had risen to 2,294. The use of methadone (“Physeptone”) both in withdrawal and in long-term maintenance therapy, has resulted in cases of additional dependence. The aim of this paper is to present an enumerative survey of abuse of these two drugs by persons of 30 years of age and under, known to have resided at some time within the Oxford City boundaries during the year 1969. The initial model for this study was that published by de Alarcon and Rathod in 1968.¹     

Multiple carcinomas of the large and small bowel in childhood

A case is reported of multiple metachronous carcinomas of the small and large intestine in a child. The latter were associated with multiple adenomatous polyps in the colon. A desmoid tumour and multiple keloids developed in the laparotomy scars. The relationship of this case to Gardner''s syndrome and polyposis coli is discussed and the literature on intestinal carcinoma in childhood is briefly reviewed.     

Effect of d-amphetamine on tryptophan and other aromatic amino acids in brain.

The investigation examined the mechanism of the increase in brain tryptophan concentration of rats treated with d-amphetamine. Certain well recognised influences upon brain tryptophan have been excluded as responsible. Thus, the effect is not associated with changes in the plasma concentrations of NEFA or free tryptophan. It is probably not due to a tryptophan-specific mechanism, because amphetamine increases the ratio of brain/plasma concentrations not only of tryptophan but also of tyrosine and phenylalanine. The concentration ratios for liver/plasma also rose, as did the liver tryptophan concentration, but these changes were less striking than for brain. Both alpha- and beta-adrenergic blocking drugs opposed the changes in brain, but in different ways. Thus, after treatment of rats with phentolamine, amphetamine decreased the plasma concentrations of the three aromatic amino acids; however, as the brain concentrations were little altered, the brain/plasma concentration ratios rose. Propranolol (and the dopamine blocker pimozide) opposed the increases of the ratios, so that the brain concentrations again altered little. The increased brain/plasma ratios resulting from the administration of amphetamine were associated with hyperthermia. Propranolol, pimozide and the diabetogenic drug streptozotocin opposed the changes in both plasma and brain; phentolamine affected neither. Despite the increase in brain tryptophan caused by amphetamine this drug had relatively little concurrent effect on 5HT synthesis. Experiments with adrenergic blockers suggest that the small rise of plasma insulin after the injection of amphetamine into rats did not cause the brain changes; these are probably a consequence of hyperthermia. The findings with streptozotocin suggest that the hyperthermic effect of amphetamine is manifested only in states of normal insulin secretion.     

Children who are cruel to animals

Conclusions Eighteen cases of children who raised concern because of their cruelty to animals were reviewed. The results revealed that they were all boys, usually young (average age 91/2), and of normal intelligence, and that they showed many other aggressive symptoms, such as destructiveness, bullying, fighting, stealing, and fire setting. Etiologic factors ranged from strictly biologic factors (Organic Brain Syndrome) to strictly environmental factors or to a combination of psycho-bio-social factors. The chaotic home with aggressive parental models was the most common factor.     

Impaired homologous recombination DNA repair and enhanced sensitivity to DNA damage in prostate cancer cells exposed to anchorage-independence

During metastases, cancer cells are temporarily exposed to the condition in which interactions with extracellular environment can be restricted (anchorage-independence). We demonstrate that the sensitivity of prostate cancer cell lines, DU145 and PC-3, to genotoxic treatment (cisplatin and gamma-irradiation) increased several folds when cells were forced to grow in anchorage-independence. This enhanced drug sensitivity was associated with a severe impairment of homologous recombination-directed DNA repair (HRR). The mechanism involves Rad51, which is the major enzymatic component of HRR. The protein level of Rad51 and its recruitment to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) were both attenuated. Rad51 deficiency in anchorage-independence was not associated with Rad51 promoter activity, and was not compensated by a constitutive overexpression of Rad51 cDNA. Instead, Rad51 protein level and its ability to colocalize with DSBs were restored in the presence of proteosome inhibitors, or when cells from the suspension cultures were allowed reattachment. Presented results indicate that anchorage-independence sensitizes prostate cancer cells to genotoxic agents; however, it also attenuates faithful component of DNA repair by targeting stability of Rad51. This temporal attenuation of HRR may contribute to the accumulation mutations after DNA damage, and possibly the selection of new adaptations in cells, which survived genotoxic treatment.