The Impact on Reproduction of an Orally Administered Mixture of Selected PCBs in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) were orally exposed to a mixture of 20 PCBs in three different dose levels (0.008, 0.08, and 0.4 μg of each congener per gram of freeze-dried chironomids). Generally, the PCBs accumulated in a dose-related manner. After 13 weeks of exposure body, liver, and ovary weights, as well as the liver and ovary somatic index, were significantly lower in exposed groups. In addition, the PCB mixture was an effective inducer of hepatic EROD activity. The reproduction study performed with exposed females and unexposed males after 9 weeks revealed that median survival time for larvae was only 7.7 days in the high-dose group as compared with 14 days in controls. Furthermore, egg production was reduced in all three groups exposed. No differences in hatching frequency or median hatching time were recorded. Histologically, females in both the intermediate and high-dose groups contained a reduced number of mature oocytes. The present study demonstrates that the potency of the mixture of selected PCBs induces hepatic EROD activity and has a clearly negative effect on zebrafish reproduction. Received: 7 May 1997/Accepted: 29 November 1997     

Comparison of indium-111 octreotide and thallium-201 scintigraphy in patients mammographically suspected of having breast cancer: Preliminary results

Indium-111 octreotide and thallium-201 scintigraphic studies were compared in 21 patients (16 with palpable and five with non-palpable lesions) suspected of having breast malignancies on the basis of mammography. Early (15 min) and late (3 h)²⁰¹Tl (111 MBq) and 4-h and 24-h¹¹¹In-octreotide (111–148 MBq) static planar anterior images (matrix 256×256) were obtained on separate days. Images were evaluated both visually and quantitatively. Biopsy was performed following the imaging studies. Histopathology revealed 17 breast carcinomas (15 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma, one mucinous adenocarcinoma and one intraductal carcinoma) and four benign breast lesions (two fibroadenomas, one abscess and one case of fat necrosis). The means histopathologcial tumour size (mean largest diameter) was 3.38±1.9 cm.¹¹¹In-octreotide detected 16 of the 17 breast cancers (94%) while²⁰¹Tl detected 13 of them (76%). Both¹¹¹In-octreotide and²⁰¹Tl missed one nonpalpable carcinoma showing only an isolated cluster of microcalcifications on mammography. The smallest tumour size detected by both agents 1.5×1.5 cm. Of the four benign lesions, only the breast abscess revealed both²⁰¹Tl and¹¹¹In-octreotide uptake.¹¹¹In-octreotide scan also showed tracer uptake in five of the six patients with histologically proven axillary metastases, while four of these six patients showed²⁰¹Tl uptake. The tumour/background (T/B) ratios of late¹¹¹In-octreotide and²⁰¹Tl images were 1.71±0.38 and 1.46±0.30 respectively (P=0.039). In this preliminary study,¹¹¹In-octreotide yielded more favourable results than²⁰¹Tl in the detection of breast carcinomas. However, the diagnostic efficacy of¹¹¹In-octreotide imaging needs to be investigated in larger patient series.     

Morphological assessment in pinealectomy and foetal pineal gland transplantation in rats: Part I

Summary The effects of pineal gland, an endocrine organ known to affect the physiology of various organs and systems including the hypothalamo-hypophyseal axis, on the morphological characteristics of target organs were investigated in rats after pinealectomy and foetal pineal gland transplantation to a subpial cortical area close to the pinealectomized region.It was demonstrated that weight gain was significantly slower in pinealectomized male rats (p<0.01); pituitary gland weight was lower in the pinealectomized group (p<0.01) and transplantation had no effect on the weight of this organ; weight of adrenal gland and testis were lower after pinealectomy (p<0.01) but restored back to control levels after transplantation; the mitotic activity in seminiferous tubules increased with pinealectomy and returned back to control indexes after transplantation.Research on hypothalamic catecholaminergic content revealed a diminished histofluorescence in pinealectomized rats which showed a potentiated restoration after transplantation.The innervation of the pineal gland was studied by anterograde and retrograde injections of Wheat Germ Agglutinin Horse Radish Peroxidase from superior cervical ganglion and pineal gland, respectively. It was demonstrated that cell bodies were traced both at the transplanted tissue and hypothalamus.In view of these data, the multifunctional and a probable high level homeostatic harmony regulator essence of pineal gland is discussed.The paper has been awarded the 1993 Upjohn prize for Neurosurgical Research of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies.     

Natural killer cell activity and CSF monoamine metabolites in suicide attempters

The aim of this study was to investigate markers of serotonin and immune function in suicidal patients. Cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells (NK) and CD16 lymphocytes were studied in 28 suicide attempters and 26 healthy controls, and related in patients to 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Patients with CSF 5-HIAA below the median had significantly lower NK cell activity than other patients. CD16 cell frequency was significantly lower in patients than in controls, and patients also tended to have lower NK cell cytotoxicity than healthy controls. There were no statistically significant correlations between 4-hydroxy-3methoxyphenyl glycol (HMPG), homovanillic acid (HVA), CSF cortisol and NK cell activity. The results support the hypothesis of compromised immune function in suicidal patients with evidence of disordered serotonin function.     

Myocardial metabolic imaging by means of fluorine-18 deoxyglucose/technetium-99m sestamibi dual-isotope single-photon emission tomography

The detection of preserved glucose uptake in hypoperfused dysfunctional myocardium by fluorine-18 deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) represents the method of choice in myocardial viability diagnostics. As the technique is not available for the majority of patients due to cost and the limited capacity of the PET centres, it was the aim of the present work to develop and test FDG single-photon emission tomography (SPET) with the means of conventional nuclear medicine. The perfusion marker sestamibi (MIBI) was used together with the metabolic tracer FDG in dual-isotope acquisition. A conventional SPET camera was equipped with a 511-keV collimator and designed to operate with simultaneous four-channel acquisition. In this way, the scatter of 18F into the technetium-99m energy window could be taken into account by a novel method of scatter correction. Thirty patients with regional wall motion abnormalities at rest were investigated. The results of visual wall motion analysis by contrast cine-ventriculography in nine segments/heart were compared with the results of quantitative scintigraphy. The scintigraphic patterns of MIBI and FDG tracer accumulation were defined as normal, matched defects and perfusion-metabolism mismatches. Spatial resolution of the system was satisfactory, with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 15.2 mm for ¹⁸F and 14.0 mm for ^99mTe, as measured by planar imaging in air at 5 cm distance from the collimator. Image quality allowed interpretation in all 30 patients. 88% of segments without relevant wall motion abnormalities presented normal scintigraphic results. Seventy-five akinetic segments showed mismatches in 27%, matched defects in 44% and normal perfusion in 29%. We conclude that FDG-MIBI dual-isotope SPET is technically feasible with the means of conventional nuclear medicine. Thus, the method is potentially available for widespread application in patient care and may represent an alternative to the ²⁰¹T1 reinjection technique.     

Effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on bacterial translocation due to burn wound sepsis

The presence of certain defects in both cellular and humoral immunity after thermal injury has been established. Likewise, the translocation of enteric bacteria to the mesenteric lymph nodes and to distant organs has also been observed following serious thermal injury. The effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on bacterial translocation, the small bowel mucosa, and cecal bacterial content were investigated in a rat model of burn wound sepsis in which albino Wistar rats were scalded over 30% of their bodies, after which the lesions were infected by 1×10⁸ colony-forming units (cfu)Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The control group was treated with 5% dextrose solution subcutaneously starting 2 days preburn, while the treatment group received 100μg/kg human G-CSF subcutaneously. On the 4th day post burn all animals were killed to examine the bowel and culture of the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), livers, and spleens. No significant differences were observed between the groups regarding the cecal bacterial content and small bowel; however, a difference was seen in the ratio of translocation in the MLN liver and spleen and quantitative MLN cultures. Based on these findings, G-CSF was thus found to be significantly effective in reducing bacterial translocation due to burn wound sepsis.     

Rheumatoid arthritis and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis: an unusual case

SUMMARY: Renal involvement is not uncommon in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Many RA patients have renal dysfunction either secondary to the drugs used to treat arthritis or because of the chronic inflammation. Renal pathologies have often included amyloidosis, drug-related renal disease and mesangial glomerulonephritis. However, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis has only been rarely reported. We report a case of rheumatoid arthritis associated with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis that rapidly progressed to end-stage renal disease.     

Acute subdural hematoma: Outcome and outcome prediction

Patients with traumatic acute subdural hematoma were studied to determine the factors influencing outcome.Between January 1986 and August 1995, we collected 113 patients who underwent craniotomy for traumatic acute subdural hematoma. The relationship between initial clinical signs and the outcome 3 months after admission was studied retrospectively.Functional recovery was achieved in 38% of patients and the mortality was 60%. 91% of patients with a high Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score (9–15) and 23% of patients with a low GCS score (3–8) achieved functional recovery. All of 14 patients with a GCS score of 3 died. The mortality of patients with GCS scores of 4 and 5 was 95% to 75%, respectively. Patients over 61 years old had a mortality of 73% compared to 64% mortality for those aged 21–40 years. 97% of patients with bilateral unreactive pupil and 81% of patients with unilateral unreactive pupil died. The mortality rates of associated intracranial lesions were 91% in intracerebral hematoma, 87% in subarachnoid hemorrhage, 75% in contusion.Time from injury to surgical evacuation and type of surgical intervention did not affect mortality. Age and associated intracranial lesions were related to outcome. Severity of injury and pupillary response were the most important factors for predicting outcome.     

Low-dose erythropoietin is effective and safe in children on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis

Hypertension is one of the most important complications of erythropoietin (rHuEPO) therapy in dialysis patients. In this study, the effect of two different dosage regiments of subcutaneous rHuEPO on blood pressure [BP] was evaluated in 20 anemic children on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Patients were randomized to receive rHuEPO 50 U/kg, either once a week (group 1, 50 U/kg per week) or three times a week (group 2, 150 U/kg per week). At the beginning of the study, 8 patients in group 1 and 8 patients in group 2 were on antihypertensive therapy. In group 1, the hematocrit increased gradually and significantly from 18.98%±1.79% to 30.1%±1.62% after 6 months, while in group 2 it rapidly increased from 19.53%±1.86% to 32.4%±1.11% after 3 months. A significant increase in the mean arterial BP was observed in group 2. Antihypertensive therapy had to be increased in all of the 8 previously hypertensive patients and had to be initiated in 1 of the 2 originally normotensive patients in the same group. None of the patients in group 1 required a change in antihypertensive medication. We conclude that during treatment with rHuEPO pre-existing hypertension and the dose of rHuEPO are the most important risk factors for the development or worsening of hypertension in children on CAPD, and gradual elevation of hematocrit by low-dose rHuEPO avoids the development of severe hypertension. Received December 11, 1995; received in revised form September 16, 1996; accepted September 19, 1996