Post‐traumatic reactions among rescue personnel 96 hours after the Hilton Hotel bombing in Sinai: The effect of previous exposure

This paper considers the immediate post‐traumatic reactions of rescue personnel who were exposed to the Hilton Hotel bombing in Sinai. The entire rescue personnel (n = 26) were assessed and separated into two groups on the basis of previous exposure to the same type of trauma. The results suggest that among rescue personnel, those with previous exposure had a lower level of post‐traumatic symptoms than those who were being exposed for the first time. This supports the hypothesis that previous exposure to the same type of trauma has an immunizing effect for subsequent same type of traumatic event among rescue personnel. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Myoblast transfer in duchenne muscular dystrophy

One biceps muscle of 8 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy was injected at 55 sites with a total of 55 million viable, purified, and contamination-free normal myoblasts (myoblast transfer). The other biceps of each patient was injected with a placebo to serve as a control. The procedure was blinded to the patients, parents, and investigators. Myoblasts derived from a biopsy specimen of the fathers were cultured and purified under strict conditions and carefully screened for microbial contamination. All patients received cyclophosphamide for immunosuppression for 6 or 12 months. No serious complications were observed after myoblast transfer, indicating that the procedure is safe. The overall therapeutic efficiency of myoblast transfer was poor as judged by the results in maximal voluntary force generation, dystrophin content of the muscle, magnetic resonance imaging of the muscle, and the lack of donor-derived DNA and dystrophin messenger RNA in the injected muscle. An improved efficiency of the take of myoblasts might be achieved by using younger cells and injecting the myoblasts with a myonecrotic agent (to increase the prevalence of regeneration) and a basal laminal fenestrating agent.     

Down-Regulation of Estrogen Receptor Immunoreactivity by 17β-estradiol in the Guinea Pig Forebrain

Low amplitude pulses of estradiol-17β (E₂-17β) are more effective than large single bolus injections or constant exposure to E₂-17β in inducing progesterone-facilitated sex behavior in female rats and guinea pigs. The present study examined whether the increased responsiveness to E₂-17β is due to an increase in the number of estrogen receptors in the estrogen receptor rich areas of the hypothalamus and amygdala. Initial studies examined the rapid effects (20 min) of a high dose of E₂-17β (50 μg) on estrogen receptor immunostaining using either the H222 antibody or the ER 21 antiserum. ER 21 immunostaining was not affected by the E₂-17β treatment suggesting that it binds to both occupied and unoccupied estrogen receptors. Therefore the ER 21 antiserum was used to characterize the regulation of estrogen receptor immunoreactivity (ER-IR) by E₂-17β. ER-IR was examined for 48 h and serum E₂-17β for 24 h following a 2 μg s.c. injection of E₂-17β (a dose similar to that used in multiple pulse paradigms). Serum E₂-17β peaked 15 to 30 min following the injection and returned to baseline values by 1 h. In all but one area maximal suppression of ER-IR occurred at 12 h. In summary, 1) decreases in estrogen receptor immunoreactivity following E₂-17β are consistent with studies in which estrogen receptors were assayed by binding assays and estrogen receptor mRNA was determined by in situ hybridization; 2) the ER 21 antiserum is able to detect both occupied and unoccupied estrogen receptors and 3) H222 immunoreactivity is influenced by the presence of E₂-17β, so that the level of H222-IR is a reflection of ligand/receptor binding dynamics. The data suggest that up-regulation of estrogen receptors does not account for the increase in behavioral sensitivity which is observed following multiple pulses of E₂-17β.