Human papillomaviruses and papillomatosis lesions of the female lower genital tract

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are involved in the development of papillomatosis lesions of the lower female genital tract.Methods: A total of 616 biopsy specimens of genital papillomatous lesions (307 nodular and 309 papular types) from 598 patients were anaylyzed for the presence of HPV DNA sequences by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These specimens were also examined by histopathological assessment for characteristic HPV-associated cytological changes, by immunohistochemical staining for HPV-associated antigen, and by electron microscopy for the presence of virions.Results: HPV DNA sequences were found in 97.9% (140 of 143 cases) and 1.1% (1 of 91 cases) of the nodular and papular papillomatosis cases tested, respectively. In 18 patients who had both types of papillomatosis lesions, HPV DNA was invariably found only in nodular tissues. HPV-associated antigen, koilocytosis, and virions were found in 53.6% (98 of 183 cases), 70.5% (129 of 183 cases), and 5.9% (5 of 85 cases) of nodular papillomatosis lesions tested, respectively.Conclusions: These data suggest that nodular papillomatosis was closely associated with HPV infection, but that papular papillomatosis of the lower female genital tract may have an etiology other than HPV infection.     

Regulation of type I collagen and interstitial collagenase mRNA expression in human dermal fibroblasts by colchicine and D-penicillamine

Sclerosis is a disease process in which idiopathic hardening occurs in the skin and/or internal organs as a result of the accumulation of type I collagen, induced mainly by transforming growth factor-beta. Colchicine and D-penicillamine are widely used for its treatment. Their effects are known to be due to post-translational down-regulation of type I collagen synthesis, with colchicine also up-regulating interstitial collagenase. To determine whether or not they have any pre-translational effect on type I collagen and MMP-1, and also to observe their effects on the action of TGF-beta, cultured neonatal foreskin fibroblasts were treated with colchicine and D-penicillamine, singly and together. The amount of type I collagen and MMP-1 mRNA were quantitated by Northern blot hybridization. Colchicine suppresses the basal level of type I collagen mRNA but minimally stimulates the mRNA expression of MMP-1, whereas D-penicillamine does not have any significant effects on either. Colchicine was also able to significantly suppress the TGF-beta-induced up-regulation of type I collagen mRNA expression.     

The role of radiotherapy in the treatment of aggressive fibromatosis

Aggressive fibromatosis is a rare benign soft tissue tumor that is difficult to cure because of its infiltrative nature and high tendency to recur locally. The authors retrospectively analyzed 20 patients with histologically-confirmed fibromatosis. All patients underwent surgery with a wide or marginal margin. Five (25%) cases with histologically-negative margins had recurred. External beam radiotherapy was administered to patients whose margins were positive or who had local recurrence. However, out of concern for safety, radiotherapy was not given to two babies and a reproductive-aged woman. The average dose was 5,020 cGy. During the follow-up (mean 32.6 months), all the patients undergoing radiotherapy showed no evidence of local recurrence. A wide local excision has traditionally been the treatment of choice. However, postoperative radiotherapy could be an effective measure for preventing local recurrence in patients with a histologically-positive surgical margin and recurrence independent of any signs of relapse.     

Protective effects of garlic juice against embryotoxicity of methylmercuric chloride administered to pregnant Fischer 344 rats

In order to investigate the beneficial effects of 0.5 or 1.0 g/kg Korean garlic juice against the embryotoxicity of 20 mg/kg methylmercury chloride (MMC, CH3HgCl), pregnant Fisher 344 rats were simultaneously orally administered on day 7 of gestation. On day 20 of gestation the dams were laparotomized under ether anesthesia, and the fetuses were removed and examined for toxicity of methylmercury. Garlic juice depressed the toxicity in terms of some parameters. In the case of simultaneous treatment with 0.1 g/kg garlic juice and MMC, rates of increase were 17.5% in maternal body weight, 13.2% and 41.9% in fetal and litters' weight respectively, and 37.0% in fetal survival rate. Decreasing rates were 10.0% in maternal death rate, and 6.9% and 31.3% in pre- and post-implantation loss respectively. Decreasing rates of mercury levels in dams were 67.2% in liver, 57.6% in brain, 47.2% in kidney, 42.1% in spleen and 40.9% in blood. As well, decreasing rates of mercury level in fetuses were 54.9% in all body burden, 55.9% in liver, 46.7% in kidney and 37% in brain, respectively. The number of fetal ossification centers were reduced by 23.8% to 58.0% following simultaneous treatment with 1.0 g/kg garlic juice. These findings indicated that garlic juice effectively inhibited the embryotoxicity of methylmercury in pregnant Fischer 344 rats.     

A case of prominent epicardial fat mimicking a tumor on echocardiography

Epicardial fat may anteriorly produce an echo-free space that can be mistaken for pericardial fluid. We recently experienced a 67-year-old woman with prominent epicardial fat which was presented as an echogenic tumor-like mass. She underwent open pericardiostomy to relieve large amount of pericardial effusion. Operative findings revealed only prominent epicardial fat. Biopsy of the pericardial and fat tissues revealed an inflammation and normal fat cells without any malignant cell infiltration.     

Trans-synaptically induced bursts in regular spiking non-pyramidal cells in deep layers of the cat motor cortex

In deep layers of the cat motor cortex, we have investigated the properties of neurons displaying trans-synaptically induced bursts. In in vivo experiments, extracellularly recorded burst neurons were separated into two subtypes based on their dependence on stimulation sites, the medullary pyramid or the ventrolateral (VL) thalamic nucleus, from which bursts of 10-20 spikes were triggered. The spike amplitude attenuation and frequency adaptation during a burst were more prominent in pyramid-dependent burst neurons than in VL-dependent burst neurons. Intracellular recordings in in vivo experiments revealed that pyramid-dependent bursts emerged from a long-lasting depolarization, while each spike during a VL-dependent burst was narrow in half-width and was followed by a fast AHP, similar to fast spiking neurons. In in vitro slice experiments, intracellular recordings were obtained from neurons that displayed a burst of attenuated spikes emerging from a long-lasting depolarization, and were also obtained from fast spiking neurons. They were morphologically recovered to be multipolar cells with sparsely spiny dendrites and local axonal networks, suggesting that they are inhibitory interneurons. The multipolar neurons displaying bursts of attenuated spikes may mediate the recurrent inhibition of pyramidal tract cells.     

D-amphetamine-induced depletion of energy and dopamine in the rat striatum is attenuated by nicotinamide pretreatment

The present study examined the effects of nicotinamide on the D-amphetamine (AMPH)-induced dopamine (DA) depletion and energy metabolism change in the rat striatum. In chronic studies, co-administration of AMPH with desipramine, a drug that retards the metabolism of AMPH, (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal [i.p.], respectively) caused a significant decrease of striatal DA content measured 7 days later. Pretreatment with nicotinamide (500 mg/kg, i.p.), the precursor molecule for the electron carrier molecule nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), attenuated this effect of AMPH, whereas itself exerted no long-term effect on striatal DA content. In acute studies, a decrease in striatal adenosine triphospate/adenosine diphosphate (ATP/ADP) ratio was found 3 h after co-injection of AMPH and desipramine. However, nicotinamide pretreatment blocked the reduced striatal ATP/ADP ratio and resulted in a striking increase in striatal NAD content in AMPH-treated rats. Furthermore, nicotinamide was noted to increase striatal ATP/ADP ratio and NAD content in saline-treated rats. These findings suggest that nicotinamide protects against AMPH-induced DAergic neurotoxicity in the striatum of rats via energy supplement.     

Hyperfibrinogenemia is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis

It is important to identify patients at risk for atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis because renal artery stenosis is a progressive disease and a potentially correctable problem. To determine the risk factors for atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis, we performed renal arteriography at the time of cardiac catheterization in 270 patients (M:F, 193:77, mean age: 59 years) with clinical ischemic heart disease. Before the procedure, demographic data, medical history, physical findings and laboratory data were obtained. The degree of coronary artery stenosis and renal artery stenosis was quantified with automatic edge detection technique. Significant renal artery stenosis, defined as a narrowing of the diameter by more than 50%, was identified in 28 (10%) patients. Three patients (1%) had bilateral disease. Significant coronary artery disease, defined as a narrowing of the diameter by more than 50%, was present in 231 patients (85%). By univariate logistic regression analysis, older age (68 +/- 8 vs. 58 +/- 10 years), the presence of hypertension (61% vs. 38%), the extent of coronary artery disease, a high fibrinogen level (391 +/- 93 mg/dl vs. 335 +/- 109 mg/dl), a low albumin level (3.9 +/- 0.4 g/dl vs. 4.1 +/- 0.4 g/dl), and a low hemoglobin level (12.5 +/- 1.6 g/dl vs. 13.5 +/- 1.6 g/dl) were associated with the presence of renal artery stenosis (p < 0.05). Serum lipids, lipoprotein(a), creatinine, sex, smoking, or diabetes were not associated. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, older age (OR: 2.43 analyzed by 10 years increment, p = 0.0001), the presence of hypertension (OR: 2.68, p = 0.039) and a higher fibrinogen level (OR: 1.63 analyzed by 100 mg/dl increment, p = 0. 038) were significant risk factors of renal artery stenosis. Fibrinogen level was negatively correlated with albumin level (r = -0.18, p = 0.004). These results suggest that hyperfibrinogenemia as well as old age and hypertension are independent risk factors for atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis. Copyright Copyright 1999 S. Karger AG, Basel