Facilitation and inhibition of plasma cortisol following electrical stimulation of the goldfish forebrain

To examine the role of forebrain structures in the control of ACTH release, electrical stimulation was performed in the brains of continuously respirated, immobilized goldfish in which endogenous ACTH release was suppressed with dexamethasone. Three active areas of the forebrain were identified. Electrical stimulation for 5 min resulted in elevations of plasma cortisol 15 min following stimulation of the nucleus preopticus (NPO) or of the nucleus tenia (NT) but a decrease in plasma cortisol following stimulation of the nucleus lateral tuberis (NLT). The results of this study demonstrate that the NPO and NT facilitate, whereas nerve fibers originating in or passing through the NLT inhibit, ACTH release in the goldfish.     

Delayed onset of regular respiration and subsequent development

A comprehensive survey carried out at birth, data on mortality and a 5 year follow-up covering medical, educational and sociological aspects of child development were available for singleton births born in one week of April 1970. The survey at 5 years of age included 12363 children, 79.6% of the surviving cohort. An assessment has been made of the extent to which delay in the onset of regular respiration at birth is associated with the subsequent development of the child. Using the results of our previous investigations, the relationships between this delay and other factors known at the time of birth have been taken into account.The distributions of a large number of development variables were not significantly different for groups of children determined by respiratory delay at birth, but there was an association with mortality and cerebral palsy. In addition, there was an unexpected relationship between delayed onset of respiration and subsequent bronchitis. This association remained significant after controlling for possible confounding effects using linear modelling techniques.     

Isolation and characterization of an acquired antithrombin antibody

A 68-year-old man, following mitral valve replacement, presented with a low-grade chronic consumptive coagulopathy. Laboratory analysis showed mild fibrinolysis, minimal effect of coumadin therapy, and a prolonged thrombin time (greater than 150 seconds using bovine IIa). When purified human IIa was used the thrombin time normalized to within 17 seconds of controls, suggesting a possible inhibitor of bovine IIa. An anti-IIa antibody was isolated by protein A-Sepharose (Sigma, St Louis, MO) chromatography followed by affinity chromatography using a bovine IIa-Sepharose column. The effects of this purified anti-IIa antibody on both bovine and human IIa procoagulant and anticoagulant functions were studied. The isolated immunoglobulin G (IgG) was observed to inhibit bovine IIa in all assays tested. This IgG was also able to slightly prolong fibrinogen clotting by human IIa. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay it was observed that the IgG bound to bovine IIa, bovine II, human IIa, but not to human II. Further, binding was detectable at approximately 50-fold lower concentrations to bovine IIa (1 nmol/L IgG concentration) than to human IIa (50 nmol/L IgG concentration). The effect of the antibody on the reaction between IIa and AT III/heparin was investigated. Human IIa was found to be protected from AT III/heparin neutralization in the presence of this antibody. These results suggest that this patient developed an antibody that strongly binds to and inhibits the bovine IIa in all assays tested. However, the antibody only significantly affects human IIa neutralization by AT III/heparin, and has little effect on the human IIa procoagulant activity. These data suggest that the decreased effect of AT III/heparin on this patient's IIa may have been a contributing factor in his coagulopathy. The exact cause of this antibody development is unclear, but the role of bovine topical thrombin used during cardiac valve replacement surgery is suspect.     

Tracheobronchial stenosis in infants: successful balloon dilation therapy

Four infants with congenital or acquired tracheobronchial stenosis were successfully treated with angioplasty balloon catheter dilation. The technical details and complications of these procedures are described. The authors believe balloon dilation therapy should be considered as the initial form of therapy for tracheal stenosis in infants, even in the presence of complex stenotic lesions.     

Fatal brain stem event complicating acute pancreatitis.

Acute pancreatitis, developing in a patient with chronic renal failure, was complicated by a fatal neurological illness during which MRI showed pontine and extrapontine changes consistent with pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis. At post mortem, acute pancreatitis was confirmed but the neuropathological findings were more in keeping with an unusual presentation of acute haemorrhagic leucoencephalitis, perhaps even representing a form of 'pancreatic encephalopathy'. Although the development of CT and MRI scanning has greatly increased the resolution of neuroimaging and facilitated diagnosis during life, the value of autopsy examination is confirmed in cases such as this. Sometimes the findings may raise more questions than may have been answered - this too is an important function!