Applications of piezoelectric fluid jetting devices to neuroscience research.

Piezoelectric pumps or "jets" are used in industry for precise dispensing of small volumes of fluids. In the present work we have tested the feasibility of using these piezoelectric devices for dispensing fluids in neurobiological research. In one experiment, 70 picoliter (pl) droplets of histochemical reagent were jetted onto discrete targets of frozen tissue sections, and qualitative and quantitative histochemical studies were done on the small (170 microns diameter) circle of tissue wet by the droplets. In the second experiment, 70 pl droplets of neuroactive drugs were jetted onto brain tissue slices while recording single neurons extracellularly in vitro, and the effects of the drugs were found to vary systematically as a function of the number of drops and the distance between drop application and the recorded neuron. The results indicate that piezoelectric jets could have wide application for dispensing fluids in neurobiological research.     

The pathology of liver-localized post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease: a report of three cases and a review of the literature

Post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is a complication of solid organ transplantation that is typically of B-cell origin and associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). In patients receiving orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and treated with cyclosporin A. PTLD typically presents between 6 and 17 months post-transplantation as a systemic illness with involvement of the hepatic graft in a minority of cases. A small number of cases of biopsy-proven PTLD arising in the hepatic graft and limited to the liver and periportal structures have been previously reported. This report describes three additional cases of liver-localized PTLD and reviews similar cases in the literature. The donor/host origin of PTLD may have prognostic significance because the two cases in this report that are of donor origin had different clinical and pathologic features compared with the case of host origin. A rapid PCR-based technique for determining the origin of PTLD is described.     

Comparing sulindac with indomethacin for closure of ductus arteriosus in preterm infants

Objectives: A prospective study comparing the efficiacy and side-effects of oral sulindac with intravenous indomethacin in clinically stable preterm infants (<1750 g) requiring non-invasive closure of haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus.
Methodology: As maturity and birthweight are the two major determinants of ductal closure, infants were matched as closely as possible for these parameters. An eligible patient was first assigned to the sulindac group and a subsequent patient with similar gestational age (± 1 week) and birthweight (±100 g) to the previously recruited infant would automatically receive indomethacin. A total of eight infants were enrolled in each group.
Results: The ductus arteriosus was successfully closed in all eight infants receiving indomethacin, and in seven of eight infants receiving sulindac. No significant differences were found with regards to the ductal size between the two groups at diagnosis or on each of the consecutive days of treatment ( P >0.25). More renal adverse effects were encountered in the indomethacin group. Significant differences in changes from baseline value for urine output, plasma sodium, urea and creatinine concentrations were noted at 24, 48 and 72 h after commencement of treatment between the two groups ( P <0.05). All the parameters returned to normal or pre-treatment levels 48 h after stopping therapy. Unexpectedly, severe gastrointestinal complications were encountered in the sulindac group.
Conclusions: Sulindac is capable of promoting ductal constriction in clinically stable preterm infants without compromising the renal function. The spectrum of gastrointestinal complications observed in sulindac treated infants were similar to those described for indomethacin. The use of sulindac for ductal closure in the preterm infant should remain experimental.