Nonpuerperal breast infection

Objective: We undertook a microbiological study of purulent specimens from women with symptomatic breast abscesses.Methods: Fifty-one purulent samples were collected in 2 periods (December 1991-April 1992 and January 1994-June 1994) from nonpuerperal breast abscesses in 44 patients attending our hospital.Results: One of the most frequently isolated microorganisms was Proteus mirabilis (9 patients, 20.4%), present as a pure culture in all but 1 specimen (isolated together with Peptostreptococcus spp.). Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in 10 specimens, 6 of which were post-tumorectomy abscesses. Polymicrobial anaerobic flora were isolated in 11 specimens (21.5%); Staphylococcus epidermidis in 4 (8%); and Streptococcus milleri,Alcaligenes sp., and mixed aerobic-anaerobic flora in 1 specimen each. The 7 remaining samples (13.7%) were negative bacteriological cultures.Conclusions: We draw attention to the frequent isolation of P. mirabilis in recurrent and torpid breast abscesses in 4 women in whom surgery was necessary in addition to antibiotic treatment.     

S-laminin and N-acetylgalactosamine located at the synaptic basal lamina of skeletal muscle are involved in synaptic recognition by growing neurites

Summary The purpose of the work reported here is to identify molecular components of the synaptic basal lamina of skeletal muscle fibres which allow recognition of original synaptic sites by regenerating motor axons. We focused on s-larninin and components recognized by the lectinDolichos biflorus agglutinin previously shown to be specifically located at the synaptic basal lamina. We used a cryoculture bioassay in which chick ciliary ganglion neurons grow on rat skeletal muscle cryostat sections. In control cultures, neurites extended over the muscle sections in close association with the muscle cell surface. It was observed that most of the neurites that extended towards the endplate zone and reached an area of 40 m around the neuromuscular junction ceased to grow when they contacted the synaptic site. Masking either lectin receptors or some s-laminin molecule epitopes prior to the culture of neurons alters the behaviour of growing neurites. On sections treated either withDolichos biflorus agglutinin or anti s-laminin monoclonal antibodies (D5 and C4) most of the neurites did not stop their growth at the synaptic regions. Moreover, treating muscle sections withDolichos biflorus agglutinin removed the gradient of substratum affinity around the endplate. These results indicate that the s-laminin andDolichos biflorus agglutinin receptors present on muscle cell surfaces may play a functional role in the interaction of growing neurites with original synaptic sites in the process of neuromuscular regeneration.     

Organization of visual cortex in the northern quoll, Dasyurus hallucatus: evidence for a homologue of the second visual area in marsupials

Two visual areas, V1 and V2 (first and second visual areas), appear to be present in the posterior neocortex of all eutherian mammals investigated so far. However, previous studies have not established whether an area homologous to V2 also exists in metatherian mammals (marsupials). Using electrophysiological techniques, we mapped the visual receptive fields of neurons in the striate and peristriate cortices of the northern quoll, an Australian marsupial. We found that neurons in a 2-mm-wide strip of cortex rostrolateral to V1 form a single, relatively simple representation of the complete contralateral hemifield. This area resembles V2 of eutherians in several respects: (i) neurons in the medial half of the peristriate area represent the lower visual quadrant, whereas those in the lateral half represent the upper visual quadrant; (ii) the vertical meridian of the visual field is represented adjacent to V1, while the visual field periphery is represented along the lateral and rostrolateral borders of the peristriate area; (iii) there is a marked anisotropy in the representation, with a larger magnification factor parallel to the V1 border than perpendicular to this border; and (iv) receptive fields of multiunit clusters in the peristriate cortex are much larger than those of cells in V1 at comparable eccentricities. The cortex immediately rostral and lateral to V2 did not respond to visual stimulation under our recording conditions. These results suggest that V1 and V2 together form a 'core' of homologous visual areas, likely to exist in all therian mammals.     

Aspiration syndrome in cesarean section. Our experience from 1980 to 1990]

In the last twenty years maternal mortality attributed to anaesthesia has decreased. Inhalation of gastric contents is the commonest cause in patients undergoing cesarean section; in fact pregnant women are considered "high risk" because of gravidic modifications. In this retrospective study of 10017 caesarean sections performed under general anaesthesia in our institution between January 1980 and December 1990, we evaluated the frequency of this syndrome (7 cases = 1:1431). We had no case of maternal and neonatal mortality. All these seven patients were admitted at our recovery room for less than 5 days; aspiration pneumonitis occurred in only three patients. Our results suggested that induction of anaesthesia with high doses of thiopental reduces complications related to light anaesthesia, including vomiting. At a dose of 5-6 mg/kg thiopental didn't produce any significant neonatal depression as documented by Apgar scores.     

Parkinson disease survival: a population-based study

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the survival of patients with Parkinson disease (PD) is shorter than that of the general population. DESIGN: Survival was investigated in a cohort of patients with PD previously identified during a population-based prevalence study (prevalence day, November 1, 1987, reference follow-up date, October 31, 1995). The survival of patients with PD was compared with that of a control sample randomly selected from the same population (2 controls for each case, matched for age, sex, and study municipality). The causes of death in the 2 groups were also compared. Both univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed to investigate the association with disease-related variables. SETTING: A door-to-door 2-phase prevalence survey performed in 3 Sicilian municipalities. PATIENTS: Fifty-nine patients with PD and 118 controls. RESULTS: Patients with PD showed a high risk of death (relative risk, 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.60-3.39). Greater age at November 1, 1987, high Hoehn-Yahr score, and lack of levodopa therapy were associated with a lower survival on univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis confirmed the association between shorter survival among patients with PD and greater age on November 1, 1987. One-way analysis of variance indicated a different effect of levodopa therapy according to age. Multivariate analysis did not confirm this finding. Pneumonia was the cause of death most frequently associated with PD. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that patients with PD have a shorter survival time than the general population.     

Chronic immobilization-induced stress increases plasma testosterone and delays testicular maturation in pubertal rats

We investigated whether chronic stress, applied from prepuberty to early puberty, interferes with the spermatogenic and androgenic testicular functions. Male pubertal rats (40 days old) were immobilized 6 h per day for 15 days. Plasma concentrations of corticosterone, prolactin and testosterone were significantly augmented following immobilization, whereas plasma luteinizing hormone decreased and follicle-stimulating hormone was not altered. Acute immobilization (5 min) increased prolactin and testosterone levels in control rats but caused a significantly higher increase in these hormones when superimposed on chronic stress. A lower extent of testicular maturation was observed in pubertal rats immobilized from prepuberty.     

Differential scanning calorimetry differences in micronized and unmicronized nimesulide uptake processes in biomembrane models.

Nimesulide release from micronized and unmicronized drug particles was tested at pH 7.4 by measuring the transfer to dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine liposomes (multilamellar and unilamellar vesicles), chosen as a biomembrane model. The perturbing effect of increasing molar fractions of pure nimesulide on the thermotropic behaviour of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine liposomes was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. In order to study the drug dissolution process by its uptake into void liposomes, measurements were carried out on suspensions of blank liposomes added to weighed amounts of free powdered nimesulide (micronized and unmicronized). The amount of drug transferred was quantified by comparing the effect caused by the dissolved and released drug to that caused by the free drug that had been previously molecularly dissolved in the liposomes. The calorimetric results show that the dissolution rate depends on the nimesulide form (micronized or unmicronized), and that the transfer to the void liposomes is quicker when the drug is in a micronized form. The uptake was faster when unilamellar vesicles were used instead of multilamellar vesicles because of the greater lipid surface. The calorimetric technique could represent an alternative 'in vitro' method that can be applied to the study of the dissolution kinetics directly at the site of drug uptake, mimicking a biological system.