Clearance of bilirubin from rat brain after reversible osmotic opening of the blood-brain barrier

Utilizing multicomponent spectrophotometry, we assayed the bilirubin content of rat cerebral hemispheres. With this assay, we determined the clearance of bilirubin from the rat brain following reversible, osmotic opening of the blood-brain barrier. Clearance was rapid, with a half-time of 1.7 h. This half-time was the same as that for clearance of bilirubin from the serum, suggesting that brain bilirubin was removed by transport or diffusion back into the general circulation. Osmotic opening does not damage brain tissue. Thus, in the undamaged rat brain, bilirubin is rapidly cleared, in contrast to its persistence in autopsy-proven human kernicterus. The potential for clearance of bilirubin from human neonatal brain should be considered, especially in the absence of underlying tissue damage.     

Ultrastructural changes of the nasal mucosa in primary ciliary dyskinesia

Primary ciliary dyskinesia syndrome (PCD) is a rare, autosomal receive disorder. Kartagener's syndrome is a subgroup of the PCD with situs inversus, bronchiectasis, and sinusitis. The symptoms results from an abnormal ultrastructural morphology of the cilia such as absence of dynein arms and other changes. As a consequence ciliary motility is disturbed. A 25-year-old man was examined because he suffered from recurrent severe pneumonia and Aspergillus infections of the lungs. On electron micrographs, ciliary abnormalities including deficiency of inner and outer dynein arms, dysmorphic outer dynein arms, and disorientation of the cilia were demonstrated. The diagnosis of PCD requires electron-microscopic investigations of the ciliated mucosa. Special attention should be given to ultrastructural changes of nasal or bronchial mucosa if a young patient suffers from recurrent severe respiratory infections.     

NPY Leu7Pro and alcohol dependence in Finnish and Swedish populations

BACKGROUND: Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a modulator of alcohol intake in animal models of alcoholism, and is potentially involved in alcohol dependence. A coding Leu7Pro polymorphism in the signal peptide of preproNPY has been described, and the Pro7 allele has been reported to correlate with increased alcohol consumption in non-dependent Finnish males. Recently, this polymorphism was also reported to be associated with an actual diagnosis of alcohol dependence. METHODS: We compared Pro7 allele frequencies in one Finnish (n = 135) and one Swedish (n = 472) population of alcohol dependent individuals, and ethnically matched controls (Finns: n = 213; Swedes: n = 177) in whom alcohol dependence was established, or any diagnosis of substance disorder was excluded, respectively, through the use of structured face-to-face interviews. RESULTS: Pro7 frequencies in alcoholics were 5.2 and 4.1% in Finns and Swedes, respectively, similar to the 5.0-5.5% recently reported in European Americans in a Yale study. However, corresponding frequencies in the control populations were similar, at 6.1 and 5.9% in Finns and Swedes, respectively, yielding no association, in contrast with the Yale study, where an association was reported based on a 2.0% Pro7 frequency in European American controls. A meta-analysis of available data yields Pro7 frequencies of 4.7% both in Caucasian alcoholics and Caucasian controls. CONCLUSIONS: Pro7 does not seem to be associated with a diagnosis of alcoholism in Caucasian populations.