Boleodorus similis n. sp. (Nematoda: Nothotylenchinae) from India

Summary A new species, B. similis, is described from male and female specimens collected from soil around roots of Plumeria acutifolia Poir from North India. It is distinguished by a short and robust body, a broad lateral field, a more posteriorly located vulva in female and the position of phasmid and the posterior extension of lateral field in male.With 8 Figures in the Text     

Anatomical variations in human carotid bodies.

The variations in anatomical structure and position of both carotid bodies were noted in 100 consecutive subjects who came to necropsy. Considerable variations in form were found. Although most carotid bodies (83% on the right and 86% on the left) were of the classic ovoid type, an appreciable minority was bilobed (9% on the right and 7% on the left) or double (7% on the right and 6% on the left); 1% were leaf shaped. All these anatomical variants have to be distinguished from the pathologically enlarged carotid body that may have a smooth or finely nodular surface. Anatomical variants (such as the bilobed) may themselves enlarge as a consequence of carotid body hyperplasia.     

Salsola pollen as a predominant cause of respiratory allergies in Kuwait.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory allergies are common in Kuwait, and the role of certain allergens has been previously documented. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results of skin prick tests to a range of allergens that were considered relevant to the vegetation surveys and aerobiological studies performed in Kuwait. METHOD: New patients attending our center during August 2002 to February 2003 with asthma or allergic rhinitis underwent skin prick tests to a battery of allergens. RESULTS: A total of 451 patients aged 5 to 60 years (mean age, 29.5 years) were tested. Of these patients, 403 (89.4%) had a positive test result to at least one allergen and were considered allergic. A total of 76.7% of the allergic patients had a positive reaction to Salsola pollen, with a mean wheal diameter of 8.25 mm (median, 8 mm). Chenopodium album was positive in 57.6% and Bermuda grass was positive in 38.2% of the allergic cases. Indoor allergens seemed to play a lesser role than pollens: Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus was positive in only 37.5%, and American and German cockroaches were positive in 33.2% and 22.3%, respectively. All the allergens other than Salsola elicited a mean wheal diameter of less than 6.25 mm (median, < or = 6 mm). CONCLUSIONS: Indoor allergens seem to play a lesser role in respiratory allergies in Kuwait. Most allergic patients become sensitized to pollens; the strongest and most frequent reaction is from Salsola pollen. Salsola imbricata is found growing extensively in most areas of the country, flowering mainly in autumn, when the most common pollen is of the Chenopod-Amaranth type and when most patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis become symptomatic.     

Comparison of hepatitis C viral loads in patients with or without coinfection with different genotypes

Hepatitis C virus genotyping was assessed for 257 chronic hepatitis C patients with viral loads above 1,000 IU/ml. Twelve patients were coinfected with more than one genotype. Their median viral loads did not differ significantly from those observed for monoinfected patients, which in turn did not vary significantly among different genotypes.     

G-Trisomie bei akuter Erythroleukämie

Zusammenfassung Es wird über einen Fall akuter Erythroleukämie mit G-Trisomie berichtet und die mögliche Bedeutung hereditärer Faktoren für die Manifestation akuter Leukämien diskutiert.

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Summary The cytogenetic analyses of direct bone marrow preparations in a 53 years old male with acute erythroleukaemia of 9 months disease history, revealed persistently a G-trisomy in a dominant cell line with 47 chromosomes. The peripheral blood culture preparations with phytohaemagglutinin exhibited normal diploid cell line.The frequent occurrence of akute leukaemia in Down's syndrome tempts to implicate that leukaemia with G-Trisomy having no signs of Down's syndrome is a somatic mutation initiated by some unknown hereditary recessive genes mechanisms.

     

Cell-type-specific excitatory and inhibitory circuits involving primary afferents in the substantia gelatinosa of the rat spinal dorsal horn in vitro

The substantia gelatinosa (SG) of the spinal dorsal horn shows significant morphological heterogeneity and receives primary afferent input predominantly from Aδ- and C-fibres. Despite numerous anatomical and physiological studies, correlation between morphology and functional connectivity, particularly in terms of inhibitory inputs, remains elusive. To compare excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs on individual SG neurones with morphology, we performed whole-cell recordings with Neurobiotin-filled-pipettes in horizontal slices from adult rat spinal cord with attached dorsal roots. Based on dendritic arborization patterns, four major cell types were confirmed: islet, central, radial and vertical cells. Dorsal root stimulation revealed that each class was associated with characteristic synaptic inputs. Islet and central cells had monosynaptic excitatory inputs exclusively from C-afferents. Islet cells received primary-afferent-evoked inhibitory inputs only from Aδ-fibres, while those of central cells were mediated by both Aδ- and C-fibres. In contrast, radial and vertical cells had monosynaptic excitatory inputs from both Aδ- and C-fibres and inhibitory inputs mediated by both fibre types. We further characterized the neurochemical nature of these inhibitory synaptic inputs. The majority of islet, central and vertical cells exhibited GABAergic inhibitory inputs, while almost all radial cells also possessed glycinergic inputs. The present study demonstrates that SG neurones have distinct patterns of excitatory and inhibitory inputs that are related to their morphology. The neurotransmitters responsible for inhibitory inputs to individual SG neurones are also characteristic for different morphological classes. These results make it possible to identify primary afferent circuits associated with particular types of SG neurone.     

Removal of the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) glycosylphosphatidylinositol signal sequence from a CSP DNA vaccine enhances induction of CSP-specific Th2 type immune responses and improvesprotection against malaria infection

The C terminus of the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) is anchored to the parasite cell membrane by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) glycolipid. This GPI signal sequence functions poorly in heterologous eukaryotic cells, causing CSP retention within internal cell organelles during genetic immunization. Cellular location of antigen has quantitative and qualitative effects on immune responses induced by genetic immunization. Removal of the GPI signal sequence had a profound effect on induction and efficacy of CSP-specific immune response after genetic immunization of BALB/c mice with a gene gun. The CSP produced from the plasmid lacking the GPI anchor signal sequence (CSP-A) was secreted and soluble, but that produced by the CSP+A plasmid was not. The CSP-A plasmid induced a highly polarized Th2 type response, in which the CSP-specific IgG antibody titer was three- to fourfold higher, and the protective effect was significantly greater than that induced by the CSP+A plasmid. Thus, these two physical forms of CSP induced quantitatively and qualitatively different immune responses that also differed in protective efficacy. Engineering plasmid constructs for proper cellular localization of gene products is a primary consideration for the preparation of optimally efficacious DNA vaccines.     

nm23-H1 suppresses invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma-derived cell lines without modifying matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression

nm23-H1 is a candidate gene for the suppression of cancer metastasis. Several studies on human breast, hepatocellular, gastric, ovarian, and colon carcinomas and melanomas have shown that reduced nm23-H1 expression was closely related to metastatic progression with poor prognosis. However, the biochemical mechanism by which nm23-H1 suppresses the metastasis has yet to be elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the correlation between nm23 expression, cell motility, and the invasive abilities of six different oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (HSC2, HSC3, HSC4, KB, OSC19, and OSC20). Reduced mRNA/protein expression of the nm23-H1 was observed in three cell lines (HSC2, HSC3, and HSC4). These cell lines exhibited increased cell motility and an invasive character on organotypic raft culture. On the other hand, the cell lines (KB, OSC19, and OSC20) that showed a higher expression of nm23-H1 exhibited a threefold to fivefold reduced motility and also reflected fewer invasions compared to the former three cell lines. Because the HSC3 cells demonstrated the lowest nm23-H1 expression with the highest cell motility and invasive character, we established nm23-H1-transfected HSC3 cell lines to investigate whether exogenous nm23-H1 protein could inhibit cell migration and invasive activity. These transfectants showed a significant reduction in cell motility with exogenous nm23-H1 in a dose-dependent manner, and exhibited a noninvasive character. An immunofluorescence study demonstrated a distinct stress-fiber distribution at peripheral region of these transfectants. However, no significant difference of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 expression was observed between mock transfectant and nm23-H1-transfected cells. These findings suggest that nm23-H1 inhibits the invasive activity of oral squamous cell carcinoma by suppression of cell motility without altering the MMP-2 and MMP-9 status.     

Adrenal pseudocysts: Evidence of their posthemorrhagic nature

Hemorrhagic adrenal pseudocysts are uncommon nonneoplastic lesions that have been reported as secondary to intraparenchymal hemorrhage or alternatively related to endothelial (vascular) cysts. Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical evidence in support of the latter has been presented, but the exact nature of hemorrhagic adrenal pseudocysts remains poorly defined. We evaluated six surgical specimens of hemorrhagic adrenal pseudocysts using immunohistochemical staining for CD31 and CD34, as well as conventional histochemistry. All six cases had hemorrhagic contents within a wall of variable thickness possessing focal areas of linear, disrupted elastin, and smooth muscle. Three cases demonstrated extensive thrombosis with organization, including papillary endothelial hyperplasia, simulating angiosarcoma. In these cases, CD31 and CD34 staining decorated areas of papillary endothelial hyperplasia as well as foci of the internal cyst lining, whereas the other cases were negative for both antibodies. Of interest is the history of FNA prior to surgical resection in three cases of hemorrhagic adrenal pseudocysts, two of which showed papillary endothelial hyperplasia. The presence of papillary endothelial hyperplasia and our immunohistochemical findings support, the conclusion that adrenal pseudocysts are posthemorrhagic and derive from vascular disruption. Furthermore, FNA or other interventional studies may be associated with papillary endothelial hyperplasia in hemorrhagic adrenal pseudocysts.     

Emblica officinalis Gaertn and serum cholesterol level in experimental rabbits.

Twelve albino rabbits of either sex weighing 1.0-1.25 kg were fed a standard laboratory diet of green grass and sattu (roasted Bengal gram). After a 2-week run-in period their serum cholesterol levels were estimated. All animals were now fed 0.5 g cholesterol and 1.0 g clarified butter daily and were not divided into 3 groups of 4 animals each. While all received the standard cholesterol-rich diet, Group A animals received no additional substances, animals in Group B were each fed 10 mg vitamin C daily, while those in Group C were each given 1.0 g fresh Amla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn). Mean serum cholesterol levels in all three groups rose to significantly higher levels by the end of the second week. There was a further rise by the end of the third and fourth weeks in Groups A and B. However, animals in Group C (i.e. those given Amla) showed significantly lower mean serum cholesterol levels at the end of the second week than their counterparts in Groups A and B. At the end of the third and fourth weeks the differences were even more pronounced.