The social worker's interview in chronic urticaria.

Ten patients with chronic urticaria were interviewed by a psychiatric social worker as part of the clinical examination. The information obtained was evaluated in comparison with the allergist-internist's history by the allergist-internist, psychiatrist and social workers. The social worker's interview offered relatively little help to the managing physician or patient in this setting.     

Development of circadian periodicity in base and stress levels of corticosterone.

Base and stress levels of corticosterone were assessed at 4-h intervals over a 24-h period in male and female rats at age 18, 22, and 26 days. A significant periodicity in base levels of corticosterone is present at 22 days of age; however, a rhythm in stress values does not appear until age 26 days. At age 26 days the pattern of the circadian periodicity in both base and stress concentrations of corticosterone resembles that of the mature rhythm.     

Postnatal development of neurogenic inflammation in the rat.

We have studied the development in the rat of neurogenic inflammatory mechanisms that mediate cutaneous plasma extravasation. At birth and at postnatal day 10, intradermal injection of substance P, histamine, and bradykinin produced no significant plasma extravasation. At day 13 through adulthood (days 42-49), all test agents produced significant plasma extravasation which increased with increasing age. In the adult rat, pretreatment with 6-hydroxydopamine, to eliminate sympathetic postganglionic nerve terminals, attenuated the plasma extravasation elicited by substance P, histamine and bradykinin. The possible role of the sympathetic postganglionic neuron in the age-dependent changes in neurogenic inflammation is discussed.     

Reliability of the acetabular teardrop as a landmark

Summary This study investigated the effect of tilt and observer reliability on radiographic measurements of the position of a prosthetic acetabular cup in seven dry bone pelves using the teardrop as a landmark. Coronal or sagittal tilt of more than five degrees was easily recognisable and there was effectively no observer variation in the measurements up to this limit. In addition, 90 out of 100 randomly selected antero-posterior pelvic radiographs from an outpatient department were not significantly rotated and 93 demonstrated a clearly defined teardrop. Measurements about the teardrop on routine radiographs are therefore sufficiently accurate to allow assessment of prosthetic position.

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La valeur du sourcil cotyloidien comme repère d'analyse radiologique

Résumé Cette étude, conduite sur 7 bassins secs, apprécie l'effet de l'inclinaison du bassin sur la qualité de l'analyse radiographique de la position d'une cupule prothétique de hanche en utilisant le sourcil cotyloïdien comme repère. Une inclinaison du bassin dans les plans coronal et sagittal est aisément détectable et il n'existe pas de variation d'analyse entre les différents observateurs en dessous de 5° d'inclinaison. De plus, sur 100 radiographies antéro-postérieures de bassin choisies au hasard dans les dossiers de consultation, 90 avaient été réalisées sans incidence particulièrement adaptée et l'on pouvait repérer facilement le sourcil sur 93% d'entre elles. Les mesures faites sur des radios de routine sont donc suffisamment précises pour permettre l'évaluation de la position d'une prothèse à partir du sourcil cotyloïdien.

     

Characterization of proteins encoded by the Epstein-Barr virus transactivator gene BMLF1

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encodes a gene product in the BamHI-M leftward reading frame 1 (BMLF1) that functions as a promiscuous transactivator acting upon many other enhancer-promoter combinations. This protein has been studied by producing a polyclonal rabbit antiserum directed against a LacZ-BMLF1 fusion protein that was synthesized in Escherichia coli. Western blotting was employed to demonstrate that this antiserum specifically detected the BMLF1 proteins in E. coli, monkey, mouse, or B cells transfected with this gene, and in EBV-positive B cells chemically induced to produce this protein. In these induced B cells, two major proteins of 50 and 60 kDa and several minor antigens were detected by these antibodies. Transfection of an expression vector containing the BMLF1 coding sequence resulted in the synthesis of only the 50 kDa proteins. These major products were phosphorylated in vivo and were localized to the cell nucleus. Only the larger 60-kDa antigen was specifically induced to be synthesized by a different EBV encoded transactivator, the BZLF1 gene product. Chemical induction of lymphocytes latently infected with EBV resulted in the synthesis of both the 60- and 50-kDa forms of the BMLF1 transactivator. Two major forms of this EBV-encoded transactivator have been detected. The 60-kDa form is presumably derived from the BSLF2-BMLF1 open reading frame while the smaller antigens, 50 kDa size, appear to be made only by the BMLF1 open reading frame. These two forms of the transactivator are differently regulated and the functional significance of this remains to be explored.     

Physiological and behavioral effects of prior aversive stimulation (preshock) in the rat

Physiological and behavioral measures were assessed in rats that had been previously exposed to unsignaled inescapable intense shock (preshock). Animals subjected to such prior aversive stimulation exhibited greater adrenocortical steroid response compared to nonpreshocked controls when subsequently tested in the open field. An increment in defecation was also observed, with ambulation and rearing behavior being markedly inhibited in the preshocked rat during these sessions.     

Orexin A mediation of time spent moving in rats: Neural mechanisms

The brain regulates energy balance and spontaneous physical activity, including both small- and large-motor activities. Neural mediators of spontaneous physical activity are currently undefined, although the amount of time spent in sedentary positions versus standing and ambulating may be important in the energetics of human obesity. Orexin A, a neuropeptide produced in caudal hypothalamic areas and projecting throughout the neuraxis, enhances arousal and spontaneous physical activity. To test the hypothesis that orexin A affects the amount of time spent moving, we injected orexin A (0–1000 pmol) into three orexin projection sites in male Sprague–Dawley rats: hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, rostral lateral hypothalamic area and substantia nigra pars compacta, and measured spontaneous physical activity. Orexin A affects local GABA release and we co-injected orexin A with a GABA agonist, muscimol, in each brain site. Dopamine signaling is important to substantia nigra function and so we also co-injected a dopamine 1 receptor antagonist (SCH 23390) in the substantia nigra pars compacta. In all brain sites orexin A significantly increased time spent vertical and ambulating. Muscimol significantly and dose-dependently inhibited orexin A effects on time spent moving only when administered to the rostral lateral hypothalamic area. In the substantia nigra pars compacta, SCH 23390 completely blocked orexin A–induced ambulation. These data indicate that orexin A influences time spent moving, in three brain sites utilizing separate signaling mechanisms. That orexin A modulation of spontaneous physical activity occurs in brain areas with multiple roles indicates generalization across brain site, and may reflect a fundamental mechanism for enhancing activity levels. This potential for conferring physical activity stimulation may be useful for inducing shifts in time spent moving, which has important implications for obesity.     

The role of the endogenous opiates in zinc deficiency anorexia

Anorexia is a major symptom of zinc deficiency, but the mechanism(s) for this anorexia are poorly defined. Recent studies have suggested an integral role for endogenous opiate peptides in appetite regulation. Dynorphin, a leucine-enkephalin containing opiate peptide, is a potent inducer of spontaneous feeding. In this study we showed that zinc deficient animals were relatively resistant to dynorphin-induced feeding. Measurement of dynorphin levels using a highly sensitive radioimmunoassay showed that zinc deficient animals had lower levels of dynorphin in the hypothalamus than did ad lib fed animals, with weight restricted animals having intermediate values. [3H]-naloxone binding was significantly increased to isolated brain membranes from zinc deficient animals using 1 nM unlabeled naloxone when compared to ad lib fed controls with the weight restricted animals again having intermediate values. These data suggest that abnormalities in endogenous opiate regulation of appetite may well play a role in the anorexia of zinc deficiency. The effects of zinc deficiency on endogenous opiate action appear to include alterations in receptor affinity, a post-receptor defect and alterations in the synthesis and/or release of dynorphin.