Spinal entry route for ventral root afferent fibers in the cat

Twelve anesthetized and paralyzed cats were used to study the spinal entry routes of ventral root afferent fibers. In all animals, the spinal cord was transected at two different levels, L5 and S2. The L5 through S2 dorsal roots were cut bilaterally, making spinal cord segments L5-S2 neurally isolated from the body except for the L5-S2 ventral roots. From this preparation, a powerful excitation of the discharge rate of motor neurons and dorsal horn cells within the isolated spinal segments was observed after intraarterial injection of bradykinin (50 micrograms in 0.5 ml saline). This excitation of the spinal neurons can be considered the most convincing evidence of the potential physiologic role of the ventral root afferent fibers entering the spinal cord directly through the ventral root, because the apparent route of neuronal input from the periphery is through the ventral roots. However, additional control experiments conducted in the present study showed that the excitation persisted even after cutting all ventral roots within the isolated spinal segments, indicating that excitation was not mediated by the ventral roots. Furthermore, direct application of bradykinin on the dorsal surface of the spinal cord also increased the motoneuronal discharge rate, suggesting that excitation of spinal neurons produced by intraarterial injection of bradykinin is due to a direct action of bradykinin on the spinal cord. Thus, we provided an alternate explanation for the most convincing evidence indicating that physiologically important ventral root afferent fibers enter the spinal cord directly through the ventral root. Based on existing experimental evidence, it is likely that the majority of physiologically active ventral root afferent fibers travel distally toward the dorsal root ganglion and then enter the spinal cord through the dorsal root.     

Ischemic necrosis of the entire femoral head and rapidly destructive hip disease: potential causative relationship

 Objective. Rapidly destructive hip disease (RDHD) is an uncommon disorder of the hip that has been considered a disease of unknown cause and distinct from ischemic necrosis of the femoral head. The objective of this study was to investigate ischemic necrosis of the femoral head as one potential cause of RDHD. Design and patients. In 600 patients who underwent MR imaging of the hip, 20 cases of ischemic necrosis involving the entire femoral head in 18 patients (3%) were retrospectively studied with routine radiography and MR imaging. All patients had surgically confirmed ischemic necrosis of the femoral head. Results and conclusions. All patients showed rapid destruction of the femoral head on routine radiography and MR imaging as compared with the gradual onset of clinical symptoms. Plain radiographs showed several bone fragments at the inferomedial aspect of the femoral head (75%), acetabular erosions (55%), eccentric depression at the lateral articular surface of the femoral head conforming to the adjacent acetabulum (35%), and mild osteoarthritis (15%). Bone sclerosis was often present at sites of impaction between the femoral head and the acetabulum. MR imaging showed marked distention of the joint capsule in all cases. In 14 of 20 cases, the contents of the joint space showed predominantly low or intermediate signal intensity on T1- and T2-weighted images. Ischemic necrosis involving the entire femoral head may represent one of the causes of RDHD.     

Alkaloidal components ofPanax ginseng

Over twelve alkaloids were delected in the roots ofPanax ginseng C.A. Meyer. Among them three alkaloids were isolated and were identified as N₉-formylharman, ethyl β-carboline-1-carboxylate and perlolyrine on the basis of spectroscopic studies.     

A case of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a patient with Crohn's disease]

Although adenocarcinoma is a well known complication of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, primary gastrointestinal lymphoma occurring in Crohn's disease is rare. A 40-year-old man with 10 year-history of Crohn's disease had multiple longitudinal ulcerative lesions on descending colon in follow-up colonoscopic examination. Microscopic examination of proximal descending colon revealed peripheral T cell lymphoma and other site of the descending colon was consistent with Crohn's disease. The patient reached complete remission of malignant lymphoma after three cycles of combined chemotherapy. He has been well for 10 months with sulfasalazine maintenance therapy but was admitted to the hospital due to spontaneous bowel perforation of ascending colon. Right hemicolectomy was done, but the patient died of post-surgical recurrent mesenteric abscess and sepsis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma complicating Crohn's disease in Korea which was confirmed by immunohistochemical studies.     

Recombinant activated factor VII in patients with cancer and hemorrhagic disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Hemorrhagic disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) associated with the presence of underlying advanced or metastatic tumors are often difficult to control by conventional methods. We report the use of recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) in patients with cancer and bleeding secondary to DIC. A total of 18 patients with cancer met pre-defined criteria for DIC. All patients had failed to respond to transfusion with blood products and treatment of the underlying malignancy prior to the introduction of rFVIIa. The median laboratory data at the time of treatment with rFVIIa were as follows: hemoglobin, 7.7 g/dl; platelets, 54 x 10(9)/l; prothrombin time, 21 s; activated partial thromboplastin time, 41 s fibrinogen, 83 mg/dl; D-dimer, 17 microg/ml; and antithrombin, 32%. The dose of rFVIIa was 90 microg/kg and the median number of doses administered was 5 (range, 3-10). Serial measurements of coagulation parameters were obtained at frequent intervals during treatment with rFVIIa. Of the 18 patients, 15 responded with cessation of bleeding and improvement in coagulation data. The prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time normalized in all responding patients within 24 h of treatment. The median fibrinogen was 214 mg/dl while the median D-dimer was 6 microg/dl at 48 h following the administration of rFVIIa. No thromboembolic complications were observed following rFVIIa. Our data provide evidence that rFVIIa can be used successfully to control the hemorrhagic episodes associated with DIC. Although this type of treatment appears to be safe, close monitoring of the patients is warranted.     

Radiation doses from low energy X-ray beams measured with synthetic diamond compared with calculated values obtained from the PENELOPE Monte Carlo code.

The utilization of a probe with synthetic diamond as the sensing material developed to measure radiation doses from mammography X-ray beams is described. The computer code system PENELOPE was used, with a geometry model simulating the experimental conditions, to compute the doses from the mammography X-ray beams to the diamond sensing material. The orientation of the diamond sensor to provide maximum absorption of the incident X-ray beam during exposure was also investigated using the PENELOPE code. The results from the theoretical model and experimental measurements are compared.     

Translational crossroads for biomarkers.

A group of investigators met at a Specialized Programs of Research Excellence Workshop to discuss key issues in the translation of biomarker discovery to the development of useful laboratory tests for cancer care. Development and approval of several new markers and technologies have provided informative examples that include more specific markers for prostate cancer, more sensitive tests for ovarian cancer, more objective analysis of tissue architecture and an earlier indication of response to treatment in breast cancer. Although there is no clear paradigm for biomarker development, several principles are clear. Marker development should be driven by clinical needs, including early cancer detection, accurate pretreatment staging, and prediction of response to treatment, as well as monitoring disease progression and response to therapy. Development of a national repository that uses carefully preserved, well-annotated tissue specimens will facilitate new marker development. Reference standards will be an essential component of this process. Both hospital-based and commercial laboratories can play a role in developing biomarkers from discovery to test validation. Partnering of academe and industry should occur throughout the process of biomarker development. The National Cancer Institute is in a unique position to bring together academe, industry, and the Food and Drug Administration to (a) define clinical needs for biomarkers by tumor type, (b) establish analytic and clinical paradigms for biomarker development, (c) discuss ways in which markers from different companies might be evaluated in combination, (d) establish computational methods to combine data from multiple biomarkers, (e) share information regarding promising markers developed in National Cancer Institute-supported programs, and (f) exchange data regarding new platforms and techniques that can accelerate marker development.