Plant activation of m-phenylenediamine by tobacco, cotton, and carrot cell suspension cultures

Tobacco, cotton, and carrot plant cell suspension cultures activated the promutagen m-phenylenediamine into a mutagen as detected by Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98 with the use of the plant cell/microbe coincubation assay. For each cell line, mid-log phase plant cells at a density of 100-150 mg/ml were coincubated for 1 hr with concentrations of m-phenylenediamine that ranged from 0.1 to 10 mumol per reaction tube in the preincubation test of the plant cell/microbe coincubation assay. Further experiments were conducted to optimize the activation response for each plant cell line. The density of plant cells in the reaction mixture, the time of coincubation of the reaction mixture, and the stage of the growth curve at which the plant cells were harvested for use in the reaction mixture all affected the response. Experiments that used the conditions determined as optimum for each plant cell line were then conducted. With each cell line, the optimized conditions enhanced the activation response that had been observed with the preliminary conditions. A ranking order based on the concentration-response curves indicated a relationship of tobacco cells much greater than carrot cells greater than cotton cells. Tobacco cells were able to activate m-phenylenediamine into a mutagen at concentrations of less than 10 nmol per plate when using TA98 as the genetic indicator organism. Finally, experiments to determine the type of genetic lesion induced by plant-activated m-phenylenediamine were conducted. By using five of the Ames strains, m-phenylenediamine was shown to be active in inducing revertants in strains TA1538 and TA98 following activation by tobacco cells under the optimized conditions. We conclude that m-phenylenediamine is activated by plant cells into a mutagen that primarily induces frameshift mutations.     

Congestive heart failure secondary to cerebral arterio-venous fistula

Arteriovenous fistula is a relatively rare cause of severe congestive heart failure in the newborn. An intracranial arteriovenous malformation associated with an aneurysm of the great vein of Galen is the most frequent of such malformations and, although well known, it remains a difficult diagnosis in the neonate because the clinical picture first presents with findings suggesting cardiac disease. The newborn with a vein of Galen aneurysm has volume and pressure overload on his myocardium; cyanosis is often present due to persistent fetal circulation; peripheral pulses are generally decreased in amplitude except in those arteries near the fistula where they are bounding, as an expression of a hyperdynamic status. A continuous murmur may be heard over the scalp, but this highly suggestive sign is often not present. The majority of newborns with intracranial arteriovenous fistula die very soon. Unfortunately, most of these infants are at first considered to have congenital heart disease and are, therefore, subjected to cardiac catheterization and angiography, with their well-known risks, before a correct diagnosis is made. Cross-sectional echocardiography, by demonstrating normal intracardiac anatomy, eliminates the need for an invasive investigation in a very sick neonate. Ultrasonography of the head will then provide a rapid and accurate demonstration of the aneurysm of vein of Galen. Cerebral angiography will complete the diagnosis in those cases in which a neurosurgical intervention is contemplated.     

Growth inhibition by rhein and lonidamine of human glioma cells in vitro

The effect of Rhein (RH) and Lonidamine (LND) on the clonogenic activity of cultured human glioma cells has been evaluated. Both these drugs decrease the survival fraction, but their effect is strictly related to the duration of exposure. A brief exposure, i.e. 4 hours, even at the highest drug concentrations does not induce any significant decrease in the survival which, on the contrary, is strongly affected by 24 and 48 hours of exposure. The reason for this behaviour lies in the mechanism of action of these drugs which do not interfere with replicative processes, but selectively affect the energy metabolism of the neoplastic cell. The validity of currently employed screening tests to evaluate the antitumoral activity of non anti-mitotic drugs is also discussed.     

Evaluation of vascular infiltration in resected patients for pancreatic cancer: comparison among multidetector CT, intraoperative findings and histopathology

Background  To assess vascular infiltration is crucial in surgical planning of pancreatic cancer. Our aim was to assess the capability of multidetector CT in detecting vascular infiltration. Methods  We evaluated 37 patients with pancreatic tumors. The relation between tumor and vessels was classified: grade 0: no contact between lesion and vessel; grade I: focal contiguity without modification of the vessel caliber; grade II: lesion surrounding the vessel, without reduction of its lumen; grade III: cancer surrounding the vessel with reduction or obstruction of its lumen. CT grades were compared to intraoperative findings and histopathology. Results  We evaluated 52 critical vessels with the following CT grades: grade 0 (4 cases), grade I (13 cases), grade II (17 cases), grade III (18 cases). Vascular resection was performed in 26 patients, with a total of 31 resected vessels (3 of grade 0, 5 of grade I, 8 of grade II, 15 of grade III). Histopathology excluded vascular infiltration in 4/4 cases with grade 0 and in 10/13 cases with grade I and confirmed it in 14/17 cases with grade II and 14/18 cases with grade III. Conclusions  Multidetector CT is accurate in detecting vascular involvement and provides pre-operative information to effectively plan resection.     

A rare case of brainstem encephalitis by Listeria monocytogenes with isolated mesencephalic localization. Case report and review

We describe a case of brainstem infection by Listeria monocytogenes with right oculomotor palsy and lip drop, facial hypoesthesia, left arm paresthesia, positive blood culture, and sterile liquor in a 63-year-old man. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an isolated mesencephalic lesion. Localization of this kind accounted for 3% of 111 cases reviewed.     

Burns: bone-anchored, extra-oral implantology.

Extra-oral implants represent a valid alternative technique in aesthetic reconstruction of the craniofacial district in oncology surgery. Two female patients were selected; they were treated from December 2001 to June 2007 by implanting auricular epithesis. The age range was 27 years. They shared the same diagnosis: burns of the auricle-temporal region. The deformity in the auricle region and the complete absence of the pinna convinced the authors to choose this reconstructive method. Most patients showed a good stability of fixtures, epithesis and perimplants soft tissue, in some cases there has been a delay in the time to healing soft tissue perimplant and only one patient has removed the plant after 5 years cancer recurrence. No complications were observed, including bleeding and infections, in the postsurgery period. No report was made in any case of lesion of the facial nerve having the fixtures being positioned in the back and above the point of emergency.     

Light treatment for neuropsychiatric behaviors in Alzheimer's disease

Neuropsychiatric behaviors are common in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and make both professional and lay caregiving difficult. Light therapy has been somewhat successful in ameliorating disruptive behaviors. This randomized trial tested the effects of morning or afternoon bright light exposure compared with usual indoor light on the presence, frequency, severity, and occupational disruptiveness of neuropsychiatric behaviors in nursing home residents with AD. Light was administered for 1 hr daily (Monday-Friday) for 10 weeks. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home was used to assess behavior at baseline and end of the intervention. Analyses revealed statistically significant differences between groups on agitation/aggression, depression/dysphoria, aberrant motor behavior, and appetite/eating disorders. The magnitude of change was small and may not represent clinically significant findings. Agitation/aggression and nighttime behaviors commonly occurred and were highly correlated with occupational disruptiveness. Interventions that decrease the presence and/or severity of neuropsychiatric behaviors have the potential to significantly decrease caregiver burden.     

Radioimmunoassay of plasma carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA): Consideration of the results of two methods

Summary The two methods used to analyze 384 plasma samples were the carcinoembryonic antigen test (CRT) performed at the Roche laboratories and the direct radioimmunoassay plasma carcinoembryonic antigen (DRPC) technique. The first test, which is quantitative, gave many false positives below the 5 ng/ml level (also when used in a larger series of 4,628 subjects), thus invalidating its use for detection of gastrointestinal neoplasms. The DRPC technique was positive in 62.3 % of 101 cases of gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma and gave very few false positives.     

Immunohistochemical Predictors for Intestinal and Pancreatobiliary Types of Adenocarcinoma of The Ampulla of Vater

Objectives

To investigate immunohistochemical predictors for intestinal and pancreatobiliary types of adenocarcinoma of ampulla of Vater and identify clinicopathological characteristics associated with the histological types and patient survival.

Methods

Immunohistochemical markers included MUC1, MUC2, MUC5AC, CDX2, CK7, and CK20. The data were analyzed by univariate and multivariate methods. The two-step cluster method was used to determine the best immunohistochemical markers to discriminate the intestinal from the pancreatobiliary type.

Results

This study identified 9 (33.3%) intestinal and 21 (66.7%) pancreatobiliary tumors. CK7 and CDX2 achieved the highest value (=?1) as predictor markers, while CK20, MUC1, and MUC2 showed degrees of importance equal to 0.77, 0.71, and 0.68, respectively. MUC5AC did not reach 0.50 of importance. In the univariate analysis, lymph node involvement, staging (TNM), and angiolymphatic and perineural invasions were associated with histological types. The independent clinicopathological variable in the multivariate model to predict the histological type was angiolymphatic invasion (p?=?0.005), OR?=?17 (95% CI 2.33 to 123.83). The final model showed positive nodes (N1) associated with shorter survival (HR?=?9.5; p?=?0.006). Overall survival at 12, 36, and 60 months was 88.5, 67.0, and 47.6%, respectively.

Conclusions

CDX2 and CK7 were the immunohistochemical markers that best discriminated the intestinal from the pancreatobiliary type. Lymph node involvement had a high impact on survival and proved to be more frequent in the pancreatobiliary type.

     

Formalin-induced infidelity in PCR-amplified DNA fragments

A 643-nucleotide-long fragment of rDNA gene was amplified by PCR in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis. When the experiments were performed by using samples fixed in formalin, artefacts were detected. While the size of the amplified fragment resulted unaffected, very striking differences were seen in the nucleotide sequences of the amplified fragments. Furthermore, in many cases, the PCR reaction failed completely. The results obtained might warn of potential problems, especially when the amount of DNA to be amplified scarce.