Ultrastructural localization of silver in rat testis and organ distribution of radioactive silver in the rat.

The deposition of silver after a single intravenous injection (2 micrograms Ag g-1 body weight) was studied in the testes of Wistar rats 24 h and 1 and 2 weeks after dosing with radiolabelled 110AgNo3 (2 micrograms Ag and 1.2 kBq g-1 body weight). Also, the temporal accumulation of silver during the experimental period was monitored in the blood, testes, epididymides, kidney, liver and brain. The subcellular distribution of silver within the testes was demonstrated by using the histochemical technique of autometallography. Silver was cleared rapidly from the blood. After an initial rise, concentrations in organs remained almost stable throughout the experimental period. Silver was especially abundant in interstitial macrophages and in the basement membrane. Deposits of silver were found in all cell types of spermatogenesis and in the lysosomes of the Sertoli cells.     

Improved survival and quality of life in patients undergoing R1 pancreatic resection compared to patients with locally advanced unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma

ObjectiveTo prospectively record the clinical consequences of R1 resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma compared to patients with locally advanced tumours not undergoing surgery.BackgroundSurgery is the only potentially curative treatment of pancreatic cancer, and postoperative safety is increasing. The rate of R1 resections might also increase unintentionally as surgical procedures with curative goal become more comprehensive, and the clinical outcome requires further prospective evaluation.Material and methodsProspective observational cohort study from October 2008 to December 2010. Outcome after R1 resection (group 1, surgery, n = 32) and conservative palliative chemoradiation/endoscopy (group 2, no surgery, n = 56) is compared with survival and longitudinal patient-reported quality of life (QoL) as endpoints. QoL was assessed by the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS).ResultsDemographic characteristics and tumour diameters were similar in both groups: 38.0 (31.3, 49.8) mm in group 1 versus 44.0 (39.6, 49.1) mm in group 2 (p = 0.18). Perioperative morbidity was 25% with no mortality. Disease-specific survival was 18.0 (14.5, 23.8) months in group 1 versus 8.1 (4.8, 10.1) months in group 2 (p < 0.0001). Overall survival was 11 (7.8, 14.4) months. Reduction in fatigue was significantly improved in the surgery group 6, 12, and 19 weeks after baseline, whereas reduction in global health was significantly better in group 2.ConclusionRadical removal (R0 resection) is the primary aim of surgery, but also R1 resection seems to improve survival and QoL, compared to outcome in patients with locally advanced tumours not undergoing surgery.     

Ultrastructural localization of exogenous silver in the anterior pituitary gland of the rat

Silver accumulations in the anterior pituitary of argyric rats were demonstrated using a histochemical method that visualizes minute traces of the metal. Silver was localized intra- and extracellularly throughout the anterior pituitary. Intracellular deposits were found within the lysosomes of somatotrophs and gonadotrophs. Extracellularly, the grains were located in basal laminae of portal veins and sinusoidal capillaries and in the membrane separating the anterior pituitary and part intermedia. The amount of deposited silver was dependent upon the dose of silver administered. Increasing the dose of silver lactate from 10 to 30 mg resulted in increased deposition, whereas a further increase to 60 mg did not alter the amount of silver deposited.     

Sézary syndrome: phenotypic and functional characterization of the neoplastic cells

Phenotypic properties of the neoplastic cells in skin, blood and lymph node specimens from 5 patients with the Sézary syndrome were examined by immuno-enzymatic and -fluorescence labelling of cells and tissue sections with a monoclonal antibody panel. In 3 cases, the in vitro functional properties of the neoplastic cells (isolated from blood specimens) were also analysed using a reverse plaque-forming cell assay. 3 different immunological categories were identified as follows: (1) T-helper/inducer neoplasms (3 patients); (2) T-suppressor/cytotoxic neoplasms (1 patient); and (3) neoplastic T-cells demonstrating characteristics consistent with a concept of their derivation from inducible suppressor T-cells (1 patient). These data provide conclusive evidence that Sézary syndrome is heterogeneous with respect to the immunological characteristics of the neoplastic cells.     

An update on the long-acting insulin analogue glargine

For both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, tight glycaemic control is vital to reduce the risk of long-term complications. However, this must be achieved with minimal risk of hypoglycaemia. Glargine is a new long-acting insulin analogue with an action profile designed to overcome this and has now been in clinical use for a number of years. In many countries glargine is widely used. Here we present an update on the clinical information available on glargine with respect to glycaemic control, the risk of hypoglycaemia and quality of life in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.     

Is Metformin Therapy for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Safe During Pregnancy?

Polycystic ovary syndrome is characterized among other things by oligo-amenorrhea and may account for more than 75% of cases with anoluvatory infertility. Due to its positive effects on polycystic ovary syndrome-induced infertility metformin has become one of the most common drugs used in this group of patients. The efficacy of the drug as well as the first reports on metformin used in pregnancy has encouraged the continued use of the drug after conception. This MiniReview reviews the current pros and cons of metformin use in pregnancy while awaiting the results of ongoing randomised, controlled clinical trials addressing the subject.     

Comparison of two sulfonylureas with high and low myocardial K(ATP) channel affinity on myocardial infarct size and metabolism in a rat model of type 2 diabetes

Aims/hypothesis  

Sulfonylureas (SUs) may impair outcome in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Most experimental studies of the myocardial effects of SU treatment are performed in non-diabetic models. We compared the effect of two widely used SUs, glibenclamide (gb) and gliclazide (gc), with high and low myocardial K_ATP channel affinity, respectively, at therapeutic concentrations on infarct size, left ventricular (LV) function and myocardial glycogen, lactate and alanine content before and after ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R).     

Familiality of obsessive-compulsive disorder in nonclinical and clinical subjects

OBJECTIVE: Studies of the familiality of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have yielded inconsistent results. This study compared the familial aggregation of OCD in first-degree relatives of community subjects with never-treated OCD, outpatients with OCD, and comparison subjects. METHOD: Fifteen persons from the community with untreated OCD were matched on age and interview type (direct or through family informants) with 90 OCD patients from four treatment facilities and 70 comparison subjects. Direct or indirect interviews using the German-language version of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Version for Anxiety Disorders (DSM-IV) were obtained from 58, 285, and 247 first-degree relatives, respectively, of the three groups. The rate of OCD in case versus comparison relatives was assessed with chi-square tests, and odds ratios were calculated for risk estimation. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to estimate the age-related risk of relatives of being affected by OCD. RESULTS: Cox proportional hazards analyses revealed a 6.2-fold higher risk (hazard ratio) for relatives of all OCD cases for definite OCD and a 2.2-fold higher risk for subclinical OCD compared with relatives of comparison subjects. For relatives of community subjects with OCD, the risk for definite OCD (10.3% versus 5.6%) was 1.6, and the risk for subclinical OCD (15.4% versus 4.1%) was 3.4 compared with relatives of OCD patients from treatment sites. CONCLUSIONS: These results from the first controlled European family study of OCD confirm earlier U.S. data on the familiality of OCD in patients recruited from treatment facilities. The finding of a comparable familial aggregation of definite OCD and a higher familial aggregation of subclinical OCD in relatives of never-treated persons with OCD from the community strongly supports the impact of familial-genetic factors in OCD.     

Harm avoidance in subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder and their families

INTRODUCTION: This study investigates the role of harm avoidance (HA) as a possible risk factor in the familiality of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). HA is considered to be a genetically influenced personality trait with an increasingly understood neuroanatomical basis. METHOD: 75 subjects with OCD from hospital sites and a community sample and their 152 first degree relatives and 75 age and sex matched controls with their 143 first degree relatives were evaluated with structured clinical interviews (DSM-IV). HA was assessed with Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ). RESULTS: Subjects with OCD had higher scores of HA than controls (p相似文献