Clinical polydiagnostic studies in a large Swedish pedigree with schizophrenia

Summary A polydiagnostic computerized diagnostic system for psychosis was used in a Swedish family complex, and 51 patients with psychiatric symptomatology were examined with eight main diagnostic systems for schizophrenia and three systems for schizophrenic subgroups. All patients fulfilled the criteria for schizophrenia according to Taylor et al., 50 according to Carpenter, 41 according to RDC, and 31 of the 51 according to DSM-III and DSM-III-R. The hypothesis that the patients in the Swedish family complex differ from other phenotypes of schizophrenia must be refuted based on the data of the present study.     

Pharmacokinetics of morphine in plasma and discrete areas of the rat brain

After intravenous administration of an analgesic dose of morphine into rat, the time course of morphine concentrations was followed in plasma, whole brain, and four discrete areas of the brain during 8 hr. These concentration curves indicated a three-exponential function which could be described by a mammillary system of three compartments. Maximal brain levels were obtained 15–20 min after injection, showing a fairly even distribution pattern of morphine. The plasma to whole brain ratio showed three-exponential characteristics, approaching a constant value of about 4.7–4.8 after 4 hr. By use of the SAAM-25 program, the experimental data from plasma and brain were simultaneously fitted to five separate sets of three-compartment models. Results obtained implied the uniqueness of the computed transfer constants of the three-compartment model.     

Crohn's disease confined to the appendix

Crohn's disease confined to the appendix is a rare entity, less than 50 cases having been reported. The present study reports on another 12 cases representing 6 per cent of all 194 patients operated upon for Crohn's disease in a total, unselected series. The indications for surgery were appendicitis in eight patients, appendiceal abscess in two, suspected pyosalpinx in one, and an ovarian cyst in one. The appendices were in all cases strikingly enlarged. Giant-cell granulomas, without microabscesses, were detected in all but one patient. Two patients had early septic postoperative complications. Fistulization from the cecum did not occur. The median observation time after operation was 13.8 years. Since none of the patients had further manifestations of the disease, it is concluded that patients with Crohn's disease confined to the appendix have a favorable prognosis.     

Enhancement by Indomethacin of Cold-Induced Hypersecretion of Noradrenaline in the Rat in vivo - by Suppression of PGE Mediated Feed-back Control?

While indomethacin treatment did not alter the urinary excretion of noradrenaline in the rat at room temperature, it consistently and significantly augmented the urinary hyperexcretion of noradrenaline induced by exposure to cold; the excretion of adrenaline remained initially unchanged. The effect of indomethacin increased progressively with time during the experimental period of about one week. The results imply that indomethacin, which is known to be able to block the formation of PGE in vivo as well as in vitro, augments the secretion of nor-adrenaline from sympathetic nerves during sympathetic hyperactivity. Since the amount of noradrenaline secreted as a result of nerve stimulation is raised when PGE formation is depressed, in isolated tissues in vitro, the present result may imply that the sympathetic hyper-secretion induced by indomethacin was secondary to suppression of PGE formation.     

Self-esteem in children with infantile hydrocephalus and in their siblings. Use of the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale

Self-esteem, evaluated with the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, an 80 item, self-report questionnaire, was investigated in 40 children (mean age 13.2 years) with infantile hydrocephalus (IH) and in 37 of their siblings (mean age 13.3 years). Thirty-one of the IH children had normal intelligence and 9 had mild mental retardation (MR). A comparison group consisting of 69 age-matched school children (mean age 10.3 years) was also evaluated. One-way analysis of variance indicated that the group IH with MR had the lowest mean scores, IH without MR was intermediate and the comparison group had the highest mean scores (higher scores reflect a higher reported self-esteem). No significant differences were found between the sibling group and the comparison group.

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Zusammenfassung Das Selbstwertgefühl wurden bei 40 Kindern (Durchschnittsalter 13,2 Jahre) mit infantilem Hydrocephalus (IH) und bei 37 ihrer Geschwister (Durchschnittsalter 13,3 Jahre) unter Verwendung der Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale ermittelt. 31 der Kinder mit IH hatten eine durchschnittliche Intelligenz und 9 leicht kognitive Einschränkungen (MR). Eine Vergleichsgruppe, die aus 69 altersgematchten Schulkindern (Durchschnittsalter 10,3 Jahre) bestand, wurde ebenfalls untersucht. Einweganalysen der Varianz ergaben, daß die IH-gruppe mit MR üblicherweise den niedrigsten Druchschnittswert aufwies, un die IH-Gruppe ohne MR unterhalb der Vergleichsgruppe lag (hohe Werte signalisieren ein höheres Selbstwertgefühl). Keine signifikanten Unterschiede fanden sich zwischen der Geschwister- und der Vergleichsgruppe.

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Résumé Estime de soi évaluée par l'échelle Children's Self-Concept Scale de Piers-Harris faite d'un autoquestionnaire de 80 items a été appliquée sur 40 enfants (moyenne d'âge 13.2 ans) ayant une Hydrocéphalie Infantile (HI) et chez 37 de leur fratrie (moyenne d'âge 13.3 ans). 31 des enfants HI avaient une intelligence normale et 9 un Retard Mental odéré (RM). Un groupe de comparasion de 69 enfants scolarisés appareillés quant à l'âge (moyenne d'âge 10.3 ans) fut aussi évalué, une analyse de variance indiquait que le groupe HI avec RM avait habituellement les scores moyens les plus bas, les HI sans RM occupaient une position intermédiaire et le groupe de comparaison avait les scores moyens les plus élevés (les scores les plus hauts reflètent une estime de soi plus importante). Aucune différence significative fut trouvée entre la fratrie et le groupe de comparaison.

     

Effective dose from radiopharmaceuticals

The effective dose, as defined by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP 1991), provides a possibility of expressing the radiation risk to patients undergoing different radiodiagnostic procedures by means of a single figure. This has been obtained by introducing organ or tissue weighting factors reflecting the radiation sensitivity of the organs. Such weighting factors were first published by the ICRP in publication 26 (1977), and have now been revised in publication 60 (1991). The effective dose for almost all radiopharmaceuticals in clinical use has been recalculated using the new weighting factors from ICRP 60 (1991) and compared with results from former calculations. A slight decrease in the numerical value for the effective dose has been observed, on average 11%. However, this does not correspond to a decrease in the estimated risk from the irradiation, since this has been re-evaluated and found to be higher than earlier believed (NAS 1990; ICRP 1991). Correspondence to: L. Johansson     

Specific methods for detection of 5-hydroxytryptamine in carcinoid tumors

Summary The nature of the chromogenic material occurring in formalin-fixed biopsy specimens of carcinoid tumors has been studied by histochemical and microspectrofluorimetric methods. The most useful property of this material appears to be its yellow fluorescence which can be intensified by treating sections with formaldehyde gas, abolished by sodium borohydride reduction, and regenerated by subsequent formaldehyde gas treatment. This and other properties indicate that the chromogenic material is a mixture of non-fluorescent tetrahydro- and fluorescent dihydro--carbolines resulting from the condensation of 5-HT with formaldehyde. The borohydride-formaldehyde gas sequence provides a convenient technique for the demonstration of 5-HT in formalin-fixed biopsy specimens processed by routine histological methods. The fluorescence method for monoamines developed by Hillarp, Falck and coworkers requires fresh material for immediate freezedrying; it is however, more sensitive and should be used in preference when such material is available,

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Zusammenfassung Spezifische Methoden für die Bestimmung von 5-Hydroxytryptamin in Carcinoidtumoren.Die Beschaffenheit des pigmentbildenden Materials, welches in Formalin-fixierten Biopsiematerial von Carcinoidtumoren vorkommt, wurde mit histochemischen und mikrospektrofluorometrischen Methoden untersucht. Die am meisten brauchbare Eigenschaft dieses Materials besteht in der gelben Fluorescenz, welche durch Behandlung der Schnitte mit Formaldehydgas gesteigert, durch Natrium-Bor-Wasserstoff-Reduktion aufgehoben und durch eine anschließende Formaldehydbedampfung wieder hergestellt werden kann. Diese und andere Eigenschaften ergeben, daß das pigmentbildende Material eine Mischung aus nicht fluorescierenden Tetrahydro- und fluorescierenden Dihydro--Carbolinen darstellt, die auf einer Kondensation von 5-Hydroxytryptamin mit Formaldehyd beruht. Die Borwasserstoff-Formaldehydbedampfungsmethode ist eine brauchbare Technik für die Demonstration von 5-Hydroxytryptamin in Formalin-fixierten Biopsienmaterial, welches mit den Routinemethoden der histologischen Technik bearbeitet worden ist. Die von Hillarp, Falcket. al. entwickelte Fluorescenz-Methode zum Nachweis von Monoaminen, welche lebensfrisches Material für die Gefriertrocknung erfordert, ist jedoch empfindlicher und sollte dann vorgezogen werden, wenn derartiges Frischmaterial für die Untersuchung verfügbar ist.

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Supported by grants from the Swedish Cancer Society (Project 261-B69-01X) and the Swedish Medical Research Council (Project B72-14X-2235-06A).     

Effect of High Dose Spironolactone and Chlorthalidone in Essential Hypertension: Relation to Plasma Renin Activity and Plasma Volume

Summary: The effect on blood pressure of high (400 mg/day-S400) and moderate dose (200 mg/day-S200) spironolactone and chlorthalidone (100 mg/day—C100), given in a random double-blind manner was related to plasma renin activity and plasma volume in 38 essential hypertensives.
The fall in pressure from a control of 154/103 mm Hg was essentially the same after four weeks of each drug—S400 ABP 24/13 mm, S200 18/9 mm, C100 17/12 mm (all P < 0–001).
Twelve of 37 patients (32%) had low initial renin, but this appeared as responsive to the chlorthalidone stimulus as that of the normal renin group. The anti-hypertensive effect of all regimens was unrelated to plasma renin activity.
Plasma volume was significantly lowered at the end of each treatment period, but the decline could not be correlated with blood pressure effects. Patients with initially low plasma volume were more likely to respond to S400 ( r = 0.545, P < 0.01), whereas the anti-hypertensive effect of the S200 and C100 regimens was independent of this variable.     

Morphology of thyroid C-cells and parathyroid glands in summer-active little brown bats,Myotis lucifugus lucifugus,with particular reference to pregnancy and lactation

Morphological studies of thyroid C-cells and morphometric analyses of parathyroid glands in summer-active little brown bats indicated concomitant regulatory endocrine functions correlating with bone remodeling. C-cells apparently maintain maximal activity throughout the summer-active period in all bats. However, the hyperactivity of the parathyroid glands in summer-active female bats can be correlated with the maintenance of plasma calcium concentrations during lactation, when the female skeleton undergoes a period of bone demineralization. In summer-active male bats, which did not lose bone, the parathyroid glands did not show morphological evidence of hyperactivity; instead they were found to exhibit moderate parathyroid activity.