The prevention of metrazol fractures by beta-erythroidin hydrochloride

Psychiatric Quarterly -     

Diagnosis goes digital.

Accurate images of the craniofacial region are critical for the development of an orthodontic diagnosis and treatment plan. The NewTom QR 9000 Volume Scanner (QR s.r.l., Verona, Italy) represents a significant advance in imaging capabilities for dentistry and orthodontics. This new-generation scanner uses computed tomography technology to provide a complete 3D view of the maxilla and mandible with relatively high resolution and low radiation exposure to patients. This article discusses some technical aspects of this new scanner and its possible orthodontic uses.     

Population-based epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus infection in Western Australia. Western Australian AIDS Advisory Committee

A total of 328 cases of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Western Australia in 1983-1987 was studied with respect to demographic factors, the risk profile, the clinical progression of disease, the utilization of inpatient services and trends in incidence over time. The crude incidence rates were 8.8 cases/100,000 person-years in men and 0.4 cases/100,000 person-years in women. Age-specific rates peaked at 25 to 29 years of age in men. The risk of HIV infection was associated with metropolitan residence, low socioeconomic level, and two specific occupational groups. Homosexual and bisexual men constituted 86% of all cases; the incidence rate of HIV infection in such men was approximately 1000-times higher than was the incidence rate by apparent sexual transmission in heterosexual persons. However, the proportion of cases that occurred in women or that apparently was caused by heterosexual sexual transmission increased from zero in 1983-1984 to 7.5% and 5.4%, respectively, in 1987. After two years of follow-up, 71% of preclinical (category-C) patients had developed signs, symptoms or evidence of immune dysfunction, and 12% of those patients with lymphadenopathy or with other early clinical features of disease (category-B) had progressed to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). At 21 months of follow-up, the survival rate with AIDS was 9%. Patients with AIDS utilized an average of 68.9 short-stay hospital bed-days per person-year, while category-B patients used 11.5 hospital bed-days per person-year. Notifications of HIV infection increased each year from 1983 to 1986, but fell by 22% in 1987. The latter may have been as a result of chance, a screening artefact or a real reduction in the incidence rate.     

Chronic vitamin E treatment prevents defective endothelium-dependent relaxation in diabetic rat aorta

Summary We examined the effect in rats of 2 months of streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus on relaxation and contraction of aortas in vitro. A further diabetic group was treated from time of diabetes induction with a 1% dietary supplement of vitamin E. Diabetes caused a 26.5% deficit (p<0.001) in maximum endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine in phenylephrine-precontracted aortas. This was 64.3% attenuated (p<0.01) by vitamin E treatment; maximum relaxation was not significantly altered compared to non-diabetic rats. Vitamin E treatment of non-diabetic rats did not significantly affect acetylcholine-induced relaxation. Diabetes or treatment did not significantly alter acetylcholine sensitivity. Endothelium-independent relaxation response to glyceryl trinitrate was not affected by diabetes or vitamin E treatment, indicating that vascular smooth muscle responses to nitric oxide remained unaltered. There was a 35.4% reduction in the maximum contractile response to phenylephrine with diabetes (p<0.05) which was unaffected by vitamin E treatment. The data suggest that the chronic deficit in nitric oxide-mediated endothelium-dependent relaxation in diabetes depends largely upon excess activity of reactive oxygen species. Treatment with vitamin E to increase free radical scavenging specifically protected vascular endothelium although it had no effect on deficits in vascular smooth muscle contractile responses.Abbreviations NO Nitric oxide - ARI aldose reductase inhibitor - ACH acetylcholine - GTN glyceryl trinitrate - GSH reduced form of glutathione - EC₅₀ effective concentration for 50% of the maximal response     

Different mechanisms by which anti-DNA MoAbs bind to human endothelial cells and glomerular mesangial cells.

The mechanisms by which anti-DNA MoAbs derived from MRL-lpr/lpr mice, bind to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and glomerular mesangial cells were studied using a cellular ELISA. DNAse-treatment of either the MoAb or HUVEC followed by reconstitution with DNA and/or histones was performed to determine whether DNA and histones mediated such binding. It was found that MoAb410 bound to HUVEC and mesangial cells in the form of preformed DNA/anti-DNA immune complex, and such binding was facilitated by histones. In contrast, MoAb 152 bound directly to cell membrane-associated DNA, and adding DNA to MoAb 152 reduced its cellular binding. DNA binds endothelial cell surface and histones enhance the binding of both MoAb 410 and MoAb 152 to HUVEC by increasing cell membrane-associated DNA. Finally, the degree of MoAb binding to HUVEC is critically influenced by the relative concentrations of antibody, DNA, and histones.     

Protective activity of different hepatic cytosolic glutathione S-transferases against DNA-binding metabolites of aflatoxin B1

To evaluate the role of glutathione S-transferase (GST) isoenzymes in induced resistance of hepatocytes to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), we compared DNA protective activities of different hepatic cytosol preparations and purified GSTs from normal rats, rats exposed to different polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and rats with carcinogen-induced hepatocellular neoplasms, with cytosols or purified GSTs from mouse, rainbow trout, and human livers. These comparisons were performed in an in vitro assay for [3H]AFB1-DNA binding after activation by rat liver microsomes. Cytosol and S-hexylglutathione-affinity-purified GST preparations from livers of mice consistently had strong protective activity against AFB1-DNA binding. The majority of this activity was dependent on the presence of reduced glutathione (GSH) but some GSH-independent protection was observed in mouse hepatic cytosol, but not in purified GST preparations. We found that all of the GSH-dependent DNA-protective activity in mouse liver eluted as a single GST isoenzyme by hydroxyapatite chromatography. Preparations of cytosol and purified GSTs from normal rat liver, rainbow trout liver, and human liver had much less AFB1-specific DNA protective activity than GSTs found in mouse liver preparations. Cytosol from rats with carcinogen-generated liver neoplasms and livers induced with 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl had more GST activity toward CDNB than cytosol from normal rat liver. When equivalent units of GST activity (CDNB) were compared, there was little difference observed between the DNA-protective activities of PCB-induced and normal rat liver cytosols, yet cytosol from rat liver neoplasms was more protective. Purified GST-P (7-7), the GST isoenzyme most induced in carcinogen-generated rat liver neoplasms, was not protective when added at protein concentrations found to be protective for total GSTs isolated from these neoplasms. These studies demonstrate that the resistance of mouse liver to AFB1 can be explained primarily by a single constitutive GST isoenzyme (YaYa or 4-4) with a relatively high activity toward DNA-binding metabolites of AFB1. GST isoenzymes with such high specific DNA protective activity against AFB1 metabolites were not evident in human, rat, or rainbow trout liver or in PCB-induced or neoplastic rat liver preparations.     

Carcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas.

Recently, several institutions have reported improved results in the treatment of patients with carcinoma of the head of the pancreas. In an attempt to determine whether similar trends could be demonstrated for patients with carcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas, the records of all 113 patients with an adenocarcinoma of the body or tail of the pancreas treated at The Johns Hopkins Hospital between 1972 and 1989 were reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups: those diagnosed between 1972 and 1982 (41 patients) and those between 1983 and 1989 (72 patients). No significant differences in tumor stage were observed between the two groups. The proportion of patients who underwent surgery decreased from 68% to 47% (p = 0.02). The number of patients who had bypass operations (15% versus 17%) or pancreatic resection (5% versus 10%) was similar in the two groups, but the proportion of patients who underwent exploratory laparotomy with biopsy only decreased from 49% to 21% (p = 0.002). The postoperative 30-day mortality (7% versus 3%), postoperative morbidity (18% versus 21%), median survival (4 months versus 3 months), and the 1-year survival (8% versus 9%) did not differ significantly between the two groups. One patient survived for 6 years after resection, and another patient is still alive 3 years after resection. Thus, unlike adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas, it appears that treatment results for patients with adenocarcinoma of the body or tail of the pancreas have not improved in recent years, the only change being a decreased need for exploratory laparotomy with biopsy only.     

Adherence of Staphylococcus aureus to cultures of human peritoneal mesothelial cells

Strains of Staphylococcus aureus, isolated from the effluentof patients with peritonitis on CAPD (continuous ambulatoryperitoneal dialysis), adhered well to both cultured human mesothelialcells and to fibronectin, but not to laminin or gelatin. Mesothelialcells grown in medium M199 exhibited more surface fibronectincompared to cells grown in MEM-Dval and demonstrated higherlevels of S. aureus adherence. Soluble fibronectin concentrations up to lOµg/ml increasedthe adherence of S. aureusto cultured mesothelial cells. Thedose-response curve was consistent with the binding of fibronectinto a saturable receptor of apparent dissociation constant (K_D)= 1.7xlO^–10 M. This corresponds closely to the K_D (2xlO^–10M) of the staphylococcal fibronectin-binding protein. S. aureus adherence was increased following the preincubationof mesothelial cell monolayers with interleukin-1 and was maximalafter 6 h preincubation. Treating mesothelial cells with interferon-gammafor 48–72 h reduced the adherence of S. aureus.