A new immune-competent animal model of mucosally derived squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To develop an immune-competent animal model for mucosally derived squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA). STUDY DESIGN: Fifteen Fischer 344 rats were inoculated with 1, 2, 5, 10, or 20 x 10(6) FAT7 cells in their flanks. The animals were observed for tumor growth and metastasis. RESULTS: All animals developed tumors that grew exponentially. Pulmonary metastases developed in all animals and 13% developed lymph node metastases. CONCLUSION: The FAT7 flank tumor in Fischer 344 rats is a new animal model that closely resembles the behavior of human mucosal head and neck cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: The existence of an immune-competent, mucosally derived, and reliable animal model of SCCA that somewhat resembles human head and neck SCCA gives the opportunity to perform immune-modulating experiments on head and neck cancer in these animals. EBM rating: B-3.     

Standardization and quantification of radionuclide solid gastric-emptying studies.

The purposes of this investigation were to standardize and validate a simple quantitative method for performing radionuclide solid gastric emptying that can be used for any dual-head gamma-camera and to establish reference values. METHODS: After eating a solid meal (egg sandwich) labeled with a radionuclide, 20 healthy volunteers (9 male, 11 female) underwent a 90-min gastric-emptying study performed with a triple-head gamma-camera. Two sets of 3 simultaneous projections were acquired sequentially for 30 s each: anterior, right posterior oblique (RPO), left posterior oblique (LPO), posterior, left anterior oblique (LAO), and right anterior oblique (RAO), and this sequence was repeated continuously for 90 min. Time-activity curves were generated using a gastric region of interest for each of the views as well as the conjugate-view geometric mean (GM) data for the anterior/posterior, LAO/RPO, and RAO/LPO combinations. Quantitative parameters were determined: percentage gastric emptying (%GE) at 90 min, half-time (min) based on an exponential fit, and clearance rate (%/min) based on a linear fit. Reference values were determined on the basis of a 95% confidence interval of the t distribution. The results were statistically analyzed and compared. RESULTS: The %GE reference values were greater for the anterior/posterior GM (>or=33%) than for the LAO (>or=31%) and anterior (>or=30%) GMs. The 3 %GE GM methods, the 3 exponential-fit GM methods, and the 3 linear-fit GM methods had high correlation coefficients (r >or= 0.874), and with only a single exception, there was no statistical difference among them. The LAO method and LAO/RPO GM mean method correlated strongly (r = 0.900) and had similar mean values (52% vs. 51%) and reference values (29% vs. 30%). All 3 methods of GM quantification also correlated strongly, and there was no significant difference among them. CONCLUSION: We have described and validated a simple method for radionuclide solid gastric emptying that can be used with a dual-head gamma-camera. We recommend the anterior/posterior GM method and have established reference values (>or=33%).     

Views of problem drinking among Native American,Hispanic, and Anglo children

Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo sixth graders reacting to an example of teenage problem drinking expressed similar beliefs and attitudes in many respects. However, Native American children viewed the problem as less serious, subscribed more to a disease theory of alcoholism, attributed less causal responsibility to the individual, and adopted a less aggressive approach toward treatment than did Hispanic, and especially Anglo, children. Their less conventional value orientations accounted for all these differences except their stronger endorsement of a disease theory of problem drinking.     

Adjustment to spinal cord injury: stage theory revisited

To better understand adjustment following spinal cord injury (SCI), 106 subjects from two samples (N = 53 each) were administered the SCL-90-R, a symptom checklist, and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scales. Sample 1 subjects were admitted for rehabilitation during 1981 to 1982 and sample 2 subjects were admitted during 1984 to 1986. Sample 2 subjects entered rehabilitation programs more quickly after injury and reported more anxiety, phobic anxiety, and hostility than sample 1 subjects. Within each sample, there was no evidence for a relationship between age or time since injury and health beliefs or psychological distress. This study does not support stage theory for adjustment after catastrophic injury, but does suggest the importance of understanding the impact of social policy changes in adjustment following spinal cord injury.     

Pharmacology of calcium-induced long-term potentiation in rat hippocampal slices

A transient increase (10 min) in extracellular calcium concentration (4 mM) causes a long-lasting (greater than 2 hr) enhancement of population spike responses evoked by radiatum fibers to CA1 pyramidal neurons in rat hippocampal slices. This phenomenon is similar to tetanic long-term potentiation (LTP), and is also related to memory processes. The influence of various drugs was investigated on calcium-induced LTP. The NMDA antagonist 2 amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP5; 100 microM) was able to prevent the calcium-induced LTP, while atropine sulphate (10 microM), propranolol hydrochloride (10 microM) and verapamil hydrochloride (100 microM) were ineffective. The results suggest an involvement of the NMDA receptor in the development of calcium-induced LTP.     

Electroencephalographic sleep studies in depressed outpatients treated with interpersonal psychotherapy: I. Baseline studies in responders and nonresponders.

Electroencephalographic (EEG) sleep measures have been examined as predictors of therapeutic response in patients with major depression. Although some studies have reported that EEG sleep measures are predictive of a favorable outcome with medications, two recent studies found no differences in the baseline sleep characteristics of responders and nonresponders to psychotherapy. To clarify this issue, we compared baseline EEG sleep in a group of patients with recurrent depression who responded to interpersonal psychotherapy (n = 19) and a comparable group who did not respond (n = 18). Baseline ratings of depression severity did not differ in the groups, but some differences in baseline sleep were noted. Psychotherapy nonresponders had longer sleep latencies, lower sleep efficiency, and increased automated measures of phasic rapid eye movement (REM) activity. In addition, the two groups had different EEG sleep adaptation patterns for REM latency and phasic REM density measures across the two study nights. These preliminary results suggest that baseline EEG sleep patterns, as well as the pattern of laboratory adaptation, may differ for depressed patients who respond to psychotherapy and those who do not.