Temporal factors influence recovery of function after embryonic brain tissue transplants in adult rats with frontal cortex lesions

Adult rats with lesions of the medial frontal cortex received implants of frontal cortex taken from embryos on the 19th day of gestation and placed directly into the zone of injury at 7, 14, 30, or 60 days after initial surgery. Another group was given bilateral frontal lesions, followed 20 days later by a second small lesion to enhance the release of putative neurotrophic factors. They then received transplants 7 days after this second operation. All rats began postoperative training on a spatial alternation learning task within 4 days after the implants of fetal tissue. The brain-damaged rats with transplants at 7 or 14 days after surgery significantly improved postoperative acquisition of spatial alternation. Transplants made 30 or 60 days postoperatively had no effect; these groups were as impaired as those with lesions alone. The animals given a second, "priming" lesion after a 20-day delay, followed by implants of fetal brain tissue, performed as poorly as the group with frontal cortex lesions alone.     

Further investigation of the association between gastroesophageal reflux and bronchoconstriction

A double-blind modification of the intraesophageal acid perfusion challenge (Bernstein procedure) was performed in asthmatic subjects with and without gastroesophageal reflux, nonasthmatic subjects with reflux, and normal subjects. Conventional spirometric functions and total respiratory resistance (Rrs) were measured prior to and after the infusion. There were no changes in pulmonary functions except in the asthmatic subjects who had had a positive add challenge. The greatest changes occurred in Rrs, which increased significantly with reflux symptoms (p < 0.01) and decreased toward baseline (p < 0.05) when these symptoms were relieved with antacids. The response was even greater in asthmatic subjects who associated reflux symptoms with attacks of asthma. These results support previous findings that acid reflux symptoms could cause a bronchoconstrictive response in certain asthmatic patients.     

Peptide neuroanatomy of adjuvant-induced arthritic inflammation in rat

The influence of adjuvant-induced arthritis of the rat on central and peripheral peptide neuroanatomy was investigated by immunohistochemistry. The most striking feature of arthritic rats was the differential intensification of neuronal proenkephalin- and prodynorphin-related staining in dorsal horn. Changes were ipsilateral in monoarthritic and bilateral in polyarthritic rats as compared to controls. Opioid responsive neurons were target of substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) fibers. Changes of SP and CGRP predominated in peripheral inflamed tissue and consisted of intensified immunostaining and an apparent sprouting of sensory fibers particularly around venules, in the epidermis and in areas infiltrated by immunocompetent cells. Opioid staining was absent from primary afferents but present in some immune cells of inflamed tissue. Endogenous antinociceptive opioids and pro-nociceptive/pro-inflammatory SP and CGRP may be crucial in the concerted response of the neuroimmune system to chronic inflammatory pain.     

Effect of parenteral nutrition on protein synthesis and liver fat metabolism in man

We studied the effect of parenteral nutrition with amino acids and hypertonic glucose on protein synthesis and liver fat metabolism. Patients with operable gastrointestinal tract malignancies were divided into two groups. Group I ate the hospital diet ad libitum for the 7-10 days preceding surgery. Group II were given adjuvant parenteral nutrition (APN) for 7-10 days prior to the surgical removal of the tumor. Daily nutrient intake and nitrogen balance were determined. [15N[glycine (1-2 g) was infused at a constant rate for 12-18 prior to surgery. During surgery, blood, liver, and muscle specimens were taken for 15N analysis. Fractional protein synthesis rates were estimated by the method of Garlick et al. (Biochem. J. 136: 935-945, 1973). The fat content and distribution pattern in the liver was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The following results were found. 1) APN increaed the albumin synthesis rate. 2) The fraction of linoleate in the total liver fatty acids were reduced by 75% in the APN patients. 3) Some of the APN patients developed fatty livers during the study. When the APN patients were subdivided on the basis of whether they had fatty livers, it was found that only those patients who did not accumulate fat showed an improvement in their plasma albumin concentration during the period of parenteral nutrition.     

Osteoprotegerin reduces the loss of periarticular bone mass in primary and secondary spongiosa but does not influence inflammation in rat antigen-induced arthritis

Objective: To assess the effect of osteoprotegerin (OPG) on joint swelling, synovial inflammation and cartilage destruction, periarticular and axial bone volume, and bone turnover in rat antigen-induced arthritis (AIA). Design: Rats were treated with OPG (3 mg/kg/day) at regular intervals from day 1 to day 20 of AIA. Disease activity was evaluated by measurement of joint swelling as well as, joint inflammation and destruction by histology. Bone volume and cellular turnover parameters of secondary spongiosa of the right tibia head and the third lumbar vertebra were evaluated by histomorphometry. Periarticular bone volume of the primary spongiosa at the right tibia head was measured by linear scanning. The findings were compared with those of PBS-treated AIA and healthy animals. Result: OPG treatment did not reduce joint swelling or histological signs of inflammation. Cartilage destruction was reduced. However, this effect did not reach statistical significance . In the secondary spongiosa OPG treatment reduced the loss of periarticular bone volume. However, the latter did not reach the level of healthy controls. OPG treatment significantly reduced parameters of bone formation and bone resorption. In the primary spongiosa, OPG-treatment led to a higher amount of mineralized tissue and a greater number of trabeculae compared to PBS-treated animals with AIA or healthy controls. In the axial skeleton, OPG treatment reduced bone formation and bone resorption parameters compared to healthy animals. This treatment had no influence on bone volume. Conclusions: In periarticular bone of AIA rats, OPG treatment reduced the loss of bone volume and decreased the bone turnover, thus preventing periarticular bone destruction. OPG treatment had no influence on inflammatory process or on cartilage destruction. Received 2 June 2005; returned for revision 26 July 2005; returned for final revision 9 August 2005; accepted by M. Parnham 24 September 2005 Presented in part at the 66. Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, New Orleans, U.S.A., October 2002, and at the 25. Annual Meeting of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research, Minneapolis, USA, September 2003 Supported by grants from the Thuringian Ministry of Science, Research and Art (B307-01025, B378-01017), the Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) Jena, and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Br 1372/5-1) Osteoprotegerin was generously provided by Amgen (Thousand Oaks, CA, USA). Drs. Neumann and Oelzner contributed equally to this work.     

Screening for cervical cancer in HIV-infected women receiving care in the United States

OBJECTIVE: We examined the sociodemographic, clinical and provider factors associated with screening for cervical cancer among HIV-infected women. METHODS: We studied a national sample representing 43,490 women receiving treatment of HIV infection who completed first follow-up surveys of the HIV Cost and Service Utilization Study (HCSUS). All women were asked, "In the past 12 months, have you had a Pap test?" Women reporting an abnormal Pap test result were asked whether they had been told antibiotics could cure abnormal cells, and whether they were scheduled for another Pap test or for a colposcopy within 3 months. RESULTS: Of the population represented, 81% had had a Pap test in the past 12 months. Women who reported having a gynecologist and primary care physician at the same clinical site were almost twice as likely (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-3.0) as other women to report Pap testing. Among women who reported abnormal Pap test results and were not told antibiotics could cure abnormal cells, 95% were scheduled for a repeat Pap test or colposcopy, but 15% of the women had not received their repeat Pap test or colposcopy. CONCLUSION: Although Pap test rates and appropriate referral for abnormal findings were high among HIV-tested women, many women with initially abnormal Pap test results did not actually receive follow-up Pap testing or colposcopy. Providing gynecologic care at the same site as primary HIV care would likely improve delivery of needed gynecologic care for women.