The recognition of emotional expression in prosopagnosia: decoding whole and part faces.

Prosopagnosia is currently viewed within the constraints of two competing theories of face recognition, one highlighting the analysis of features, the other focusing on configural processing of the whole face. This study investigated the role of feature analysis versus whole face configural processing in the recognition of facial expression. A prosopagnosic patient, SC made expression decisions from whole and incomplete (eyes-only and mouth-only) faces where features had been obscured. SC was impaired at recognizing some (e.g., anger, sadness, and fear), but not all (e.g., happiness) emotional expressions from the whole face. Analyses of his performance on incomplete faces indicated that his recognition of some expressions actually improved relative to his performance on the whole face condition. We argue that in SC interference from damaged configural processes seem to override an intact ability to utilize part-based or local feature cues.     

Acetylator polymorphism in multiple sclerosis

To elucidate whether any relationship exists between genetic polymorphic acetylation and the risk for multiple sclerosis (MS), we determined this polymorphism, using sulphamethazine, in 71 patients with definite MS and in 268 age-matched controls. Thirty-seven patients (52.1%) and 151 controls (56.3%) were classified as slow acetylators (not significant difference). No relation was found between acetylator polymorphism and age at onset of disease in MS patient's group. Our results do not support the existence of any relationship between acetylator polymorphism and the risk for MS.     

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the skin: A light-microscopic and immunohistochemical study

Cutaneous carcinoma histopathologically resembling nasopharyngeal carcinoma has been termed lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the skin. We present an additional example of this rare cutaneous neoplasm that was located on the left temple of an 83-year-old woman. Serology for Epstein-Barr virus was negative, and exploration of the nasopharyngeal region disclosed no abnormalities. Histopathologically, the neoplasm consisted of a relatively well-circumscribed, dermal-hypodermal nodule composed of irregular aggregates of epithelial cells with vesicular nuclei, some of them in mitosis, and scant cytoplasm. A dense lymphocytic infiltrate was present within the neoplastic aggregates, obscuring the epithelial component, and at scanning magnification, the lesion closely resembled cutaneous lymphoma or pseudolymphoma. There was local sebaceous differentiation. Immunohistochemistry showed positivity in the epithelial component for AE1/AE3 and AEB-903 cytokeratins and negativity for 8–18 cylokeratins. The inflammatory infiltrate was positive for leukocyte common antigen, UCHL-1, L-26, Leu-22, and OPD-4 in variable proportions. Scattered cells within this inflammatory infiltrate were also positive for S-100 protein, vimentin, HAM-56, and MAC-387. In situ hybridization investigations for the presence of Epstein-Barr virus genomic DNA yielded negative results. Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the skin is a distinct cutaneous neoplasm of unknown histogenesis, although some foci of adnexal differentiation have been found in some specimens. The possibility of cutaneous metastasis from occult nasopharyngeal carcinoma should be ruled out.
Requena L, Sánchez Yus E, Jiménez E, Roo E. Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the skin: A light-microscopic and immunohistochemical study.     

Drug mixture which improves survival of ischemic rabbit epigastric skin flaps

The chief aim of this study was to maximize flap survival by counteracting the pathophysiological changes occurring during ischemia-reperfusion. Rabbit epigastric skin flaps given 21 hours of ischemia were infused intra-arterially with selected drugs at the start of reperfusion. Compared with control infused ischemic flaps, which had a 33% survival rate on day 7 post-ischemia, significant improvement was found with vasodilators nitrendipine (61%) and prostacyclin (65%) and the thrombolytic agent urokinase (65%); marginal improvement with the free radical scavenger desferrioxamine (53%); but no change with streptokinase (44%), heparin (21%), and ATP-MgCl₂ (35%). A drug mixture comprising all of these agents except streptokinase and urokinase produced 87% survival, suggesting an additive effect. Biochemical assays on skin homogenates and blood implicated oxygen free radicals, neutrophil infiltration, and thromboxane in flap failure. These results imply that multiple factors are responsible for ischemic flap failure and that a mixture of drugs needs to be infused to counteract all of the detrimental changes. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

The effect of hormone replacement therapy on postmenopausal bone loss.

Eighty-four postmenopausal women who were randomly allocated to one of four groups, completed a 1 year follow-up. The first group (n = 20) received 0.625 mg/day conjugated estrogens cyclically (CE; 25 days/month). The second (n = 23) received 0.625 mg/day of CE continuously, and the third (n = 17) received 50 micrograms/day of transdermal 17 beta-estradiol cyclically (24 days/month). All these groups also received 2.5 mg of medroxiprogesterone acetate sequentially for the last 12 days of hormone replacement therapy, while the fourth group (n = 24) constituted a treatment-free control group. Dual photon absorptiometry was carried out before therapy and was repeated after 1 year. Serum calcium, phosphate and osteocalcine levels, and the urinary calcium/creatinine and hydroxyproline/creatinine ratios, were measured prior to treatment and 6 and 12 months thereafter. All treatment groups showed an increase in bone mineral content. This increase was higher in the continuous CE treatment group (4.4%, P less than 0.05) and in transdermal group (7.1%, P less than 0.01). Concomitant biochemical effects at 6 and 12 months, reduction in urine calcium and hydroxyproline, reduction in blood calcium, phosphate and osteocalcine, were compatible with the observed effects on bone mineral.     

Experimental models of hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Experimental models of hypersensitivity pneumonitis are important tools for the study of the pathogenesis of this disease. In this paper we review the characteristics of the main animal models developed until now. The HP models in rats seem to be particularly appropriate for studying pigeon fancier's disease and the HP induced by chemicals, as well as for studying mediators of acute lesions induced by immunocomplexes. However, the HP models developed in rats are of less value in the evaluation of other aspects of the pathogenesis of this clinical entity in humans. The murine models of HP offer several advantages: the ease and simplicity of intranasal administration, the ability to produce acute and subacute pulmonary lesions similar to those found in humans, the possibility of reproducing lesions similar to those of nonaffected exposed subjects and the possibility of pharmacologically modulating the process. Their disadvantages lie in the different pulmonary lymphocyte response and the difficulty in reproducing a model of chronic fibrosis. The HP models in rabbits are extraordinarily useful for evaluating the immunological mechanisms through which subjects repeatedly exposed to the antigen do not develop clinical manifestations. However, the rabbit has several immunological differences when compared to humans, and the effect of some immunomodulators in this animal is different. The models of HP in guinea-pigs have as advantages the ease in handling the animals, the possibility of pharmacological manipulation, and the ability to induce an acute phase that is very similar to that observed in humans. The drawback, however, is the low lymphocyte response and the striking eosinophilic reaction that contrast with the bronchoalveolar data found in HP in humans. In conclusion, there is no ideal model to reproduce all the findings observed in humans, suggesting that the experimental animal and the method of developing HP should be selected on the basis of concrete research aims.     

Medicinal plants used in some rural populations of Oaxaca, Puebla and Veracruz, Mexico.

Within Mexico's floristic abundance, plants with curative properties are outstanding due to their popularity in handling several illnesses, a fact that becomes specially important for the social groups of the tropical regions. In this paper the results of an ethnobotanical study carried out in 57 rural populations from the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Veracruz and Puebla are presented; questionnaire and interview methods were applied, with special attention to the use of plants for medical purposes. The most relevant results were: the taxonomic determination of 237 vegetal species from which 399 curative products are obtained, in order to combat 57 illnesses, the most frequent of which are those related to the digestive system, the skin, the reproductive system and those of supernatural origin, which can only be treated by the use of plants in special ceremonies known as 'limpias', due to their peculiar condition.     

Effect of anti-human sperm monoclonal antibodies on mouse in vitro fertilization

We employed anti-human sperm monoclonal antibodies to investigate how sperm membrane antigens are involved in gamete interactions. We have produced seven monoclonal antibodies specific for human sperm antigens, that showed reaction with mouse sperm by ELISA and by immunofluorescence. These antibodies did not react with zona pellucida or any other somatic human tissue. Some degree of toxicity was detected for oocytes at high antibody concentration and this was correlated with their inhibitory effect on fertilization. Unrelated to the degree of antigen expression or localization on sperm membrane, the antibodies showed several degrees of inhibition. The participation in sperm-zona pellucida interaction for every antigen could be evidenced by the impaired penetration of sperm caused by the presence of several concentrations of antibody. Thus, DAN-2, MOU-8 and VAC-4 inhibit mouse in vitro fertilization.     

Low bioavailability of amoxicillin in rats as a consequence of presystemic degradation in the intestine.

Several studies have been carried out to elucidate the causes of the low oral bioavailability of amoxicillin in rats. The hepatic first-pass effect of the antibiotic was estimated by comparing the area under the plasma drug concentration-versus-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC0-infinity) obtained after injecting the drug into a mesenteric vein with the AUC0-infinity value obtained after injecting the drug into the jugular vein of conscious rats. No hepatic first-pass effect was detected. The bioavailability of amoxicillin after intraduodenal administration was only 51%, and the fraction of the dose remaining in the intestine at the end of the experiment was 4.5%. This was far less than the fraction that did not reach systemic circulation, which indicates a presystemic loss of drug, probably at the intestine. In vitro studies corroborated the fact that amoxicillin is subjected to presystemic degradation by intestinal juices and intestinal tissues. The greatest loss of drug occurred in the complete intestine (45% of the initial amount), and it was mainly due to the action of intestinal tissues (28% of the initial amount) but was also due to the action of intestinal juices (15% of the initial amount). The absorption of amoxicillin in three parts of the intestine (upper, middle, and lower) was also evaluated. The largest AUC0-infinity value and the highest plasma drug levels were obtained when amoxicillin absorption took place in the middle intestine. The smallest AUC0-infinity value and the lowest plasma drug levels corresponded to absorption from the upper intestine.