Successful management of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis type I in pregnancy

Purpose  

We report the successful management of a pregnancy with preexisting nephrotic syndrome due to biopsy-proven primary membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis type I.     

Decreased pain response in mice following cortex-specific knockout of the N-methyl-d-aspartate NR1 subunit

Studies have shown that N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors play a critical role in pain processing at different levels of the central nervous system. In this study, we used cortex-specific NR1 knockout mice (C57BL/6 strain) to elucidate the role of cortical NMDA receptors in pain processes. On post-natal day 20, paw withdrawal latency (PWL) to a noxious thermal stimulus was measured in male and female knockout (KO), control (Ctrl), and C57BL/6 (C57) mice. Twenty-four hours later, the same mice were tested in the formalin-pain assay (20 μl of 5% formalin injected into one hind-paw). The results show that KO mice (both male and female) have significantly reduced pain responses during both early and late phases of formalin test, as compared with Ctrl and C57 mice (p < 0.01). By contrast, no differences among groups were found in PWL to a noxious thermal stimulus. Taken together, these results demonstrate dissociation in the role of cortical NMDA receptors in mediating different types of pain.     

Atypical Presentation of Pilomatricoma: A Case Report

BACKGROUND: Malherbe tumors, also known as pilomatricomas, are benign cutaneous tumors of hair matrix origin. OBJECTIVE: To discuss a rare case of multiple pilomatricoma of the head and neck region in a very young patient. METHODS: A 14-month-old baby presented with two lesions, one appearing on the preauricular region and the other on the nasolabial fold. One of the lesions showed significant ulceration. RESULTS: Excisional biopsy was performed for both of the lesions. Although the histopathologic examination suggested pilomatricoma as the diagnosis, the lesion with ulcerations exhibited increased mitosis which made us consider pilomatrix carcinoma in its differential diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Increased mitoses, an uncommon unexpected feature for pilomatricoma, can be a marker for more aggressive biologic behavior.     

Effects of intracerebroventricularly-injected morphine on anxiety, memory retrieval and locomotor activity in rats: involvement of vasopressinergic system and nitric oxide pathway

Morphine has been shown to alter several behavioural processes. We aimed to investigate the effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) morphine on anxiety, memory retrieval and locomotor activity in rats and to elucidate the possible involvement of the vasopressinergic system and the nitric oxide (NO) pathway in these effects. Rats were pretreated with morphine (0.5, 5, 50 microg/5 microl; i.c.v.) or saline (5 microl; i.c.v.) 30 min before the elevated plus maze test, the probe trial of the Morris water maze and the open field test. Morphine (5 microg/5 microl; i.c.v.) induced significant anxiolytic effects in the elevated plus maze. None of the doses of morphine produced any effects in the probe trial of the Morris water maze and the open field. Pretreatment with an arginine vasopressin (AVP) V(1) receptor antagonist (25, 125 ng/5 microl; i.c.v.), an AVP V(2) receptor antagonist (25, 125 ng/5 microl; i.c.v.), or L-NAME, an NO synthase inhibitor (5, 25 microg/5 microl; i.c.v.) 30 min before morphine significantly prevented the anxiolytic effects of morphine. These results suggest that i.c.v. morphine has significant anxiolytic effects, probably mediated by both vasopressinergic system and NO pathway, but has no effect on memory retrieval or locomotor activity, at least at the applied doses.     

The effect of gradually increased blood flow on ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat kidney

BACKGROUND: Gradually increased blood flow to the ischemic rat kidney was studied to assess the ability to diminish ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS: The left renal artery and vein were isolated in 25 rats. Microclamps were applied for 45 minutes and were released at once (group II) or gradually (group III). Renal arterial blood flow and K+ activity were measured. Bilateral kidneys were harvested for histopathology and for malonyldealdehyde and myeloperoxidase levels. RESULTS: Increased K+ activity returned to preischemic values faster in group III than in group II. No statistically significant difference existed in malonyldealdehyde and myeloperoxidase levels; histopathologic scoring showed less tissue damage in group III (P < .05). Contralateral kidney samples showed signs of ischemia in group II. CONCLUSIONS: Gradually increased blood flow to the ischemic kidney decreases ischemic changes. Ischemic insult to 1 kidney causes histopathologically detectable changes to the contralateral kidney, which can be diminished by gradual reperfusion.