Differential modulation by dopamine of responses evoked by excitatory amino acids in human cortex.

The responses of human neocortical neurons to iontophoretic application of excitatory amino acids and their modulation by dopamine (DA) were studied in vitro. Brain slices were obtained from children undergoing surgery for intractable epilepsy. Application of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) to the slices induced slow depolarizations accompanied by decreased input conductances and sustained action potentials in cortical neurons. Glutamate produced rapid depolarizations and firing with few changes in input conductances. Quisqualate also induced depolarization and firing, but input conductances increased during the rising phase of the membrane depolarization. Iontophoretic application of DA alone produced no change in membrane potential or input conductance. However, when DA was applied in conjunction with the excitatory amino acids, it produced contrasting effects. With either bath application of DA or when iontophoresis of DA preceded application of NMDA, the amplitude of the membrane depolarizations and the number of action potentials were increased, whereas the latency of these responses decreased. In contrast, DA decreased the amplitude of the depolarizations and the number of action potentials evoked by glutamate or quisqualate. The fact that DA affects responses to NMDA and glutamate or quisqualate in opposite directions is of considerable importance to the understanding of cellular mechanisms of neuromodulation and the role of DA in cognitive processing and in epilepsy.     

Resiliency and Adult Adaptation in Women with and Without Self-Reported Histories of Childhood Sexual Abuse

This study investigated the relationship of protective factors (PF) to adult adaptation in a nonclinical sample consisting of 264 undergraduate women: two groups without childhood sexual abuse (CSA), high (n = 109) and low (n = 99) on PF; and two groups with CSA, high (n = 17) and low (n = 27) on PF. The first hypothesis that higher levels of PF would be significantly associated with higher levels of functioning for all individuals was supported by the data. The second hypothesis that the women with CSA and higher levels of PF would appear similar in adaptation to those without CSA was also supported. The findings further suggest that though the protective factors were beneficial for most individuals, they were significantly more helpful for those with CSA.     

The antigenic properties of hepatitis A virus particles possessing different physicochemical characteristics]

A modified enzyme immunoassay based on adsorption of antihepatitis A virus (HAV) IgG-HRPO conjugate and monoclonal antibodies to HAV were used to investigate antigenic differences between mature HAV virions and subviral particles with different buoyant densities in CsCl produced in HAV-infected cells. The mature virions (1.34 g/cm3) appeared to have common antigenic determinants with subviral particles (1.20, 1.27, and 1.30 g/cm3) and possess some additional determinants. Nevertheless, both subviral particles and mature virions induced antibodies capable of neutralizing HAV infectivity in tissue culture.     

Ex vivo removal of IgE in atopic asthma by extracorporeal plasmoimmunoadsorption (EPIA): development of a clinical adsorbent

We have developed an immunoadsorbent (IA) for ex vivo removal of IgE after in vitro screening of matrix (Sepharose and tresyl-activated Toyopearl) and ligand (monospecific rabbit polyclonal anti-IgE antiserum and monoclonal antibodies (Abs) or their Fab fragments). Specific adsorptive capacity (SAC) for IgE was maximal in Sepharose-based IA with both types of Abs. Fab-containing IA on Sepharose retained 70-90% of the SAC of native Ab-containing IA. Toyopearl-based IA showed comparable SAC under static conditions but worked unsatisfactorily under continuous flow conditions. To assess the complement-activating capacity (CAC) of IA in vitro anaphylatoxin (C3a, C4a, C5a) generation was applied. CAC was directly related with the amount of immobilized Ab ligand, without depending on Ab specific activity. Fab-containing IA showed more CAC than native Ab-containing IA, and polyclonal IA more than monoclonal IA. Therefore, IA for IgE apheresis were prepared from native monoclonal Abs and CNBr-activated Sepharose CL 4B under aseptic conditions and packed into a glass column. This IA was used in 17 clinical IgE apheresis treatments of five atopic asthma patients. No substantial side effects were observed; in vivo IA effectively removed IgE from plasma (83 to 98%).     

Prospective study on the value of endosonographic follow-up after surgery for esophageal carcinoma

Background: Half of the patients who undergo surgery for cancer of the esophagus or gastric cardia present with recurrent disease within 2 years after the operation. We investigated the value of endosonography for the early detection of recurrent disease. Methods: Forty-three patients entered a follow-up protocol in which endosonography was performed every 6 months within the first 2 years after resection. Results: During 16 of a total of 66 examinations, suspicious abnormalities were found. In three patients free fluid was seen, but recurrence could not be confirmed during follow-up. In eight patients suspicious lymph nodes were seen; six died within 6 months, one was alive with a proven recurrence at 6 months, and one was alive without recurrence at 22 months. In five patients focal wall-thickening or a mass was seen; three died within 6 months, and two were alive with a proven recurrence at 2 and 5 months. After exclusion of free fluid, the positive predictive value of abnormalities on endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was 92%. Conclusions: Endosonography, performed at 6-month intervals after resection of cancer of the esophagus or gastric cardia, is accurate in the early detection of locoregional recurrent disease. Two thirds of the patients were still without symptoms when the recurrence was found. (Gastrointest Endosc 1997;46:487-91.)     

Does the Prepubertal Duration of Diabetes Influence the Onset of Microvascular Complications?

This study investigated the relationship between the development of diabetic retinopathy and pubertal status at onset of diabetes in 521 Type 1 diabetic patients diagnosed between 1950 and 1985. Pubertal status was based on age at onset (girls ≧ 11 years and boys ≧ 12 years). Retinopathy (all forms) developed in 112 patients (21.5%; 65 background and 47 proliferative retinopathy). For subjects diagnosed in either the prepubertal or postpuberal period, a similar proportion survived without developing retinopathy for any given duration of diabetes (X² = 0.3822, p = 0.54). However, if only the postpubertal duration of diabetes is considered, then the proportion of patients surviving without retinopathy was significantly less for those diagnosed in the prepubertal period (X² = 14.2, p = 0.002). This study suggests that the prepubertal duration of diabetes is an important phase and that the years prior to puberty do contribute to the risk of developing microvascular injury.     

A case of mediastinal neurinoma originating from right intrathoracic vagal nerve

A 34-year-old woman was admitted with an abnormal shadow on a chest X-ray film. Under a preoperative diagnosis of benign bronchogenic cyst, operation was carried out and the tumor was found to be originating from the right main vagal nerve in the mid-superior mediastinum. The vagal nerve was transected to remove the tumor. Pathological diagnosis was a neurinoma. Postoperative complication was chylothorax which was successfully treated with thoracic drainage and intravenous hyperalimentation.