Mediastinal pancreatic pseudocyst

The extension of a pancreatic pseudocyst into the mediastinum is a difficult clinical and radiographic diagnosis. The chest roentgenogram reveals a retrocardiac mass in a patient with nonspecific upper abdominal and chest complaints. Usually there is a preceding history of alcoholism or pancreatitis. The upper gastrointestinal series often demonstrates typical displacement of the distal esophagus anteriorly and to the left. The value of computed tomography is illustrated. Correct preoperative diagnosis is important for proper surgical treatment, since a mediastinal pseudocyst is best managed without thoracotomy.     

Prostaglandin E2 binding and cyclic AMP production in isolated bone cells

Summary The binding of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) to bone cells was studied to provide direct evidence for the existence of specific receptors in bone. Bone cells were isolated by collagenase digestion of fetal and newborn rat calvaria. Isolated cells were incubated with³H-PGE₂ and collected on Millipore filters. Specific binding was determined by subtracting the binding that occurred with 10⁻⁶ M non-radioactive PGE₂ and³H-PGE₂ from that with³H-PGE₂ alone. With heterogeneous cell preparations and at PGE₂ concentrations from 10⁻⁹ − 1.7 × 10⁻⁸ M at 37°C, specific binding reached steady state within 10 min. Bound³H-PGE₂ was displaced by the addition of increasing amounts of unlabeled PGE₂. Inhibition of PGE₂ binding was observed with PGE₁ and the endoperoxide analog, U44069, but not with PGE_2α, a lipopolysaccharide, or 13,14-dihydro 15-keto PGE₂. Studies with bone cell populations, obtained by sequential digestions, indicated that an osteoclastic population binds 30-fold more PGE₂ than osteoblastic cells. Scatchard analyses revealed that the osteoclastic cells have an affinity constant for PGE₂ binding similar to that obtained with heterogeneous populations. However, the PGE₂ binding capacity in this osteoclastic population was fivefold greater than in the heterogeneous population. The osteoclastic population responded with an increase in cyclic AMP to lower concentrations of PGE₂ than the osteoblastic populations. These studies suggest that differences in the binding capacity of PGE₂ receptors exist among bone celltypes and that these differences are reflected in the cellular cyclic AMP response.     

Mutual involvement and alienation in families of Holocaust survivors

Clinical studies suggest that children of Holocaust survivors remain enmeshed with their families or alienated from them. To examine the applicability of these observations to a nonclinic population, questionnaire responses of a randomly selected community sample of adult children (ages 19-36) of Holocaust survivors (COS) were compared to those of children of other immigrants (COI), and of children of native-born parents (CON). The clinical findings were not supported in most of the wide range of possible manifestations of ties to or distance from the family. COS did, however, report more dissatisfaction with some aspects of the cross-sexed parents' disciplinary habits in the past. Male COS continued to feel that way in the present, wishing their mothers would be more permissive. Documented negative consequences of prolonged, severe victimization may affect only small segments of the second generation.     

A simplified approach to retrograde/anterograde axonal labeling using combined injections of horseradish peroxidase and ibotenic acid.

Combined injections of ibotenic acid and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were made into the region of the mouse ventrobasal thalamus that is related to the large mystacial vibrissae. Examination 4 and 5 days later of the corresponding area of the primary somatosensory cortex (i.e., barrel cortex), in thick and in thin sections, showed it to contain numerous corticothalamic projection cells the somata, dendrites and axons of which were densely labeled by the retrograde transport of HRP. Analysis of serial thin sections showed that thalamocortical axon terminals, which had degenerated in response to the injection of ibotenic acid, formed approximately 20% of the asymmetrical synapses in barrel cortex. The fine structure and distribution in cortex of degenerating thalamocortical axon terminals and of intrinsic HRP-labeled corticothalamic axon terminals were identical to those reported in previous studies in which the injection of HRP into the thalamus was combined with the making of electrolytic lesions. This indicates that injecting ibotenic acid is an effective replacement for electrolytic lesioning of the thalamus. The combined injection of ibotenic acid and HRP represents a new and efficient approach for studying reciprocal projection pathways.