Laparoscopic findings in serosal eosinophilic gastroenteritis. Report of two cases

This report describes the laparoscopic features of two patients with serosal eosinophilic gastroenteritis. In one case only hyperemia of the peritoneal serosa was found. In the other the laparoscopic picture resembled peritoneal carcinomatosis. We show that laparoscopy and peritoneal biopsy may permit diagnosis of the disease without the need for laparotomy.     

Liver metabolic effects of intestinal shock and naloxone treatment in the rat

The liver metabolic response of rats following a standardized intestinal shock, induced by applying a pressure of 120 cm water on the mesenteric vessels for 60 min, was studied. Immediately prior to the release of the pressure on the vessels saline or naloxone was given either as a single injection or as a continuous infusion. After the reperfusion of the intestine no early disturbances in liver metabolism were found as evidenced from the ATP, glucose and lactate levels in liver biopsies taken 15 min following reflow. Within 60 min of reflow reduction of ATP and increases of glucose and lactate levels occurred. There were no major hemodynamic or liver metabolic differences between saline- and naloxone-treated shocked rats. When saline or naloxone was given as a continuous infusion, the changes in liver metabolism were, however, less severe than those observed in the single injection situation pointing toward a non-specific effect of volume replacement rather than a blockade of opioid receptors. Hepatic hypoxia and/or cellular effects of "shock factors" could be mechanisms of pathophysiologic importance for the disturbed liver metabolism in this shock model.     

Presynaptic regulation of the electrically evoked release of endogenous dopamine from the isolated neurointermediate lobe or isolated neural lobe of the rat pituitary gland in vitro

Summary Isolated neurointermediate lobes (NILs) or isolated neural lobes (NLs) of the rat pituitary gland were incubated in Krebs-HEPES solution which contained pargyline and the dopamine uptake inhibitor GBR 12921. The release of endogenous dopamine was determined by HPLC with electrochemical detection. Electrical stimulation of the pituitary stalk induced a frequency-dependent release of dopamine.The release of dopamine from the combined NIL evoked by stimulation at 15 Hz was increased by 130% in the presence of the dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, (–)-sulpiride; the (+)-enantiomer of sulpiride had virtually no effect. When the stimulation frequency was 3 Hz (–)-sulpiride caused an increase in dopamine release by 230%. A similar increase was observed in the presence of domperidone, another dopamine D2 receptor antagonist.The dopamine receptor agonists, apomorphine and quinpirole, had no significant effects on the evoked release of dopamine indicating that under the present incubation conditions endogenous dopamine may have been maximally activating the autoinhibition. However, in the presence of 1 mol/l (–)-sulpiride, apomorphine as well as quinpirole reduced the evoked release of dopamine in a concentration-dependent manner.The dopamine D1 receptor selective antagonist, SCH 23390, had no effect on the evoked release of dopamine at a concentration of 1 mol/1. Only at a concentration of 10 mol/l did SCH 23390 cause a small increase in dopamine release; this effect was, however, abolished in the presence of 1 mol/1(–)-sulpiride.In the presence of 1 mol/l (–)-sulpiride neither clonidine, yohimbine, 5-methoxytryptamine nor metitepine significantly affected the release of dopamine from the NIL evoked by stimulation at 3 Hz.In the NL, the release of dopamine is inhibited by endogenous opioids. For this reason, naloxone 1 or 10 mol/1 was present in the experiments on isolated NLs. Domperidone and (–)-sulpiride, but not (+)-sulpiride, increased the release of dopamine from the NL evoked by electrical stimulation at 15 Hz by about 90%. SCH 23390 caused a significant increase in dopamine release at 10 mol/l, but not at 1 mol/lIn conclusion, the release of endogenous dopamine from the neurons terminating in the intermediate and neural lobe of the pituitary gland is inhibited via dopamine receptors of the D2 type.Abbreviations DOPAC dihydroxyphenylacetic acid - 5-HT 5-hydroxytryptamine - HPLC high performance liquid chromatography - IL intermediate lobe - NIL neurointermediate lobe - NL neurallobe Send offprint requests to K. Racké at the above address     

A Biotin–Avidin-Based Enzyme Immunoassay for βh-Endorphin

An avidin–biotin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is described for _h-endorphin (_h-EP). Microtiter plates coated with commercially available antibodies were used together with _h-EP tracer derivatives that were biotinylated in positions 24, 28, and 29 via a C₆ spacer arm. Nonspecific binding of biotinylated derivatives to the microtiter plates was blocked with a mixture of 1% casein and 10% ethanolamine in 0.1 M NaHCO₃. A sequential saturation procedure using a high-affinity antiserum in combination with an avidin–alkaline phosphatase complex matched the sensitivity of reported radioimmunoassays (RIAs), with a detection limit of 0.5 fmol/assay. The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were 5 and 12%, respectively. Results obtained by ELISA and RIA showed good correlations (r = 0.95). The -EP concentration in extracted rat plasma after high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) fractionation was determined by this method to be 1600 fmol/ml.     

Effects of muscimol inactivation of the cerebellar nuclei on precision grip

A single monkey was trained to perform a grasp, lift, and hold task in which a stationary hand- held object was sometimes subjected to brief, predictable force-pulse perturbations. The displacement, grip, and lifting forces were measured as well the three-dimensional forces and torques to quantify specific motor deficits after reversible inactivation of the cerebellar nuclei. A prior single-cell recording study in the same monkey provided the stereotaxic coordinates used to guide intranuclear injections of muscimol. In total, 34 penetrations were performed at 28 different loci throughout the cerebellar nuclei. On each penetration, two 1.0-microl injections of 5 microg/microl muscimol, were made 1.0 mm apart either within the nuclei or in the white matter just lateral or posterior to the dentate nucleus. Injections in the region corresponding to the anterior interpositus nucleus produced pronounced dynamic tremor and dysmetric movements of the ipsilateral arm when the animal performed unrestrained reaching and grasping movements. In contrast, no relatively short-latency (15-20 min.) deficits were observed after injection in the dentate nucleus, although some effects were observed after several hours. When tested in a primate chair with the forearm supported and restrained at the wrist and elbow, the monkey performed the lift and hold task without tremor or dysmetria. However, with the restraint removed, the forces and torques applied to the manipulandum were poorly controlled and erratic. The monkey's arm was ataxic and a 5-Hz intention tremor was clearly visible. In addition, the animal was generally unable to compensate for the predictable perturbations and the anticipatory grip force increases were absent. However, overall the results suggest that reversible cerebellar nuclear inactivation with muscimol has little effect on isolated distal movements of the wrist and fingers.     

miRNPs: a novel class of ribonucleoproteins containing numerous microRNAs

Gemin3 is a DEAD-box RNA helicase that binds to the Survival of Motor Neurons (SMN) protein and is a component of the SMN complex, which also comprises SMN, Gemin2, Gemin4, Gemin5, and Gemin6. Reduction in SMN protein results in Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a common neurodegenerative disease. The SMN complex has critical functions in the assembly/restructuring of diverse ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. Here we report that Gemin3 and Gemin4 are also in a separate complex that contains eIF2C2, a member of the Argonaute protein family. This novel complex is a large approximately 15S RNP that contains numerous microRNAs (miRNAs). We describe 40 miRNAs, a few of which are identical to recently described human miRNAs, a class of small endogenous RNAs. The genomic sequences predict that miRNAs are likely to be derived from larger precursors that have the capacity to form stem-loop structures.     

Cyclosporin A-mediated killing of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leishmania major</Emphasis> by macrophages is independent of reactive nitrogen and endogenous TNF-α and is not inhibited by IL-10 and 13

Murine macrophages were treated with various doses of cyclosporin A (CsA) to enhance the killing of Leishmania major parasites. CsA reduced the rate of infected cells from 75% in non-treated controls to less than 15% with 1 micro g CsA/ml in a dose-dependent manner. The leishmanicidal effect was also observed when CsA was added 48 h after the infection of macrophages. In contrast, FK506, another structural non-related immunosuppressive drug with antiparasitic activities, showed no effect on the ability of macrophages to kill intracellular Leishmania parasites. Since nitric oxide has been identified as a key molecule for the leishmanicidal function of macrophages, we analyzed the role of this molecule. There was no influence on the leishmanicidal effect of CsA when L- N-(1-iminoethyl)lysine, a potent and selective inhibitor of mouse inducible nitric oxide synthase, was added. Furthermore, the presence of the macrophage-inhibiting cytokines interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-13 simultaneously or prior to CsA did not inhibit leishmania killing, while both cytokines completely prevented parasite killing by macrophages activated with gamma interferon and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). CsA was fully active on macrophages from TNF-receptor p55 knockout mice arguing against autocrine activation by TNF. We therefore conclude that the antileishmanial effect of CsA is independent of effector mechanisms employed by macrophage-activating cytokines.     

Primary histiocytic sarcoma of the spleen associated with erythrophagocytic histiocytosis

We report an exceptional case of a histiocytic sarcoma presenting as a primary isolated spleen tumor in a 71-year-old woman. The neoplastic cells in the cords and sinuses of the red pulp formed multiple lobulated tumors, which were detected in vivo by ultrasound scan. The medium cells, large cells and the giant cells expressed CD68, a histiocyte-associated marker, lysozyme and S100 protein. All these cells were negative for B- and T-cell markers, cytokeratins, melanosome markers (HMB45) and CD1a (Langerhans' cells). Many tumor cells displayed strong erythrophagocytosis and sometimes lymphocytophagocytosis. In addition, numerous histiocytes with morphology indistinguishable from reactive macrophages also exhibited a strong erythrophagocytosis, and were found in the tumor as well as in the normal splenic parenchyma. Despite multi-agent chemotherapy, the patient suffered from a relapse in the liver, with a rapid fatal outcome. A literature review showed that such a primary splenic presentation with multiple tumors is rare. In contrast, in systemic malignant histiocytosis, secondary spleen involvement occurs more frequently but with diffuse infiltration. The association with a reactive histiocytosis with erythrophagocytosis corresponds to "histiocytic medullary reticulosis", as previously described by Scott and Robb-Smith.     

ATP-sensitive K+ and Ca2+-activated K+ channels in lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus) red blood cell membrane

The patch-clamp technique was used to demonstrate the presence of ATP-sensitive K(+) channels and Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels in lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus) red blood cell membrane. Whole-cell experiments indicated that the membrane current under isosmotic (285 mosmol l(-1)) conditions is carried by K(+). In the inside-out configuration an ATP-sensitive K(+) channel (70-80 pS inward, 35-40 pS outward) was present in 35% of patches. Application of ATP to the intracellular side reduced unitary current with half-maximal inhibition in the range 10-100 microM. A block was obtained with 100 microM lidocaine and inhibition was obtained with 0.5 mM barium acetate. A Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel (25-30 pS inward, 10-15 pS outward) was present in 57% of patches. Inhibition was produced by 10 mM TEA and 500 nM apamin and sensitivity to Ba(2+) was lower than for ATP-sensitive channels. No spontaneous channel activity was recorded in the cell-attached configuration under isotonic conditions. With hypotonic saline 68% of patches showed spontaneous single-channel activity, and, of 75 active patches, 66 cell-attached patches showed channel activity corresponding to Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels.