In vitro release of lectins by Phallusia mamillata hemocytes.

-Lactose specific lectins are released from Phallusia mamillata hemocytes during short-term cultures. The molecular weight of the subunits, the immunological cross-reaction and the sugar specificity suggest that the released lectins are similar to those isolated from the sonicated hemocytes. Because lectin release appears to take place independently of active protein synthesis, the possibility exists that lectins are pre-formed, stored in hemocytes and released when in vitro conditions stimulate the cells.     

APOE epsilon3 gene transfer attenuates brain damage after experimental stroke.

Apolipoprotein E (apoE, protein; APOE, gene) is the major lipid-transport protein in the brain and plays an important role in modulating the outcome and regenerative processes after acute brain injury. The aim of the present study was to determine if gene transfer of the epsilon3 form of APOE improves outcome in a murine model of transient focal cerebral ischaemia. Mice received an intrastriatal injection of vehicle, a second-generation adenoviral vector containing the green fluorescent protein gene (Ad-GFP) or a vector containing the APOE epsilon3 gene (Ad-APOE) 3 days before 60 mins focal ischaemia. Green fluorescent protein expression was observed in cells throughout the striatum and subcortical white matter indicating successful gene transfer and expression. ApoE levels in the brain were significantly increased after Ad-APOE compared with Ad-GFP or vehicle treatment. Ad-APOE treatment reduced the volume of ischaemic damage by 50% compared with Ad-GFP or vehicle treatment (13+/-3 versus 29+/-4 versus 27+/-5 mm(3)). The extent of postischaemic apoE immunoreactivity was enhanced in Ad-APOE compared with Ad-GFP or vehicle treated mice. These results show the ability of APOE gene transfer to markedly improve outcome after cerebral ischaemia and suggest that modulating apoE levels may be a potential strategy in human stroke therapy.     

Effects of cocaine, exercise, and resting conditions on plasma corticosterone and catecholamine concentrations in the rat

Cocaine and exercise are both known as stressors, but little is known about the combined effects of these two treatments. In this study, rats under the influence of cocaine (12.5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally [IP]) or saline were exposed to a variety of resting conditions, as well as exercise (running, 26 m/min, 10% grade, for 30 minutes), to evaluate the amount of stress imposed by these conditions as determined by the changes in the plasma concentrations of corticosterone (C) and catecholamines (norepinephrine [NE], epinephrine [E], dopamine [DA]). After injection of saline, resting near the operating treadmill for 30 minutes caused the concentration of C to increase from 0.07 +/- 0.03 to 0.30 +/- 0.05 microgram/mL (P less than .05), compared to the increase to only 0.15 +/- 0.04 micrograms/mL after resting in a cage. This increase due to proximity to the treadmill subsided after 50 minutes. After cocaine, the 30-minute resting values were 0.70 +/- 0.15 (treadmill) and 0.55 +/- 0.13 (cage) (P less than .05), and did not subside after 50 minutes. Cocaine also increased levels of E, NE, and DA above those in saline under all rest conditions. With exercise, the value for C in saline increased to 0.61 +/- 0.18, but, in cocaine, the value went to 0.93 +/- 0.05 (P less than .05). The concentrations of E (946 +/- 74 v 603 +/- 101 pg/mL, cocaine v saline) and NE (1,027 +/- 102 v 440 +/- 153, cocaine v saline) during exercise also were exaggerated by cocaine treatment (P less than .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A Randomized Pilot Study of Behavioral Treatment to Increase Calorie Intake in Toddlers With Cystic Fibrosis

This pilot study examined a behavioral treatment to increase calorie intake in toddlers with cystic fibrosis. Eight toddlers were randomly assigned to behavioral plus nutrition (BEH) or nutrition intervention (NTR) conditions. Calorie intake and weight were measured at pre- and posttreatment. The BEH group showed a trend for changes in calorie intake pre- to posttreatment (p = .07; 40% increase). Results for the BEH and NTR groups did not differ significantly. Most participants achieved weight gains consistent with normal growth. Seventy-five percent had not shown this pattern during the year prior to intervention. These results support the feasibility and potential for behavioral interventions in this age group.     

Gallstone pancreatitis: a prospective randomized trial of the timing of surgery

The correct timing of surgery in cases of gallstone pancreatitis is debatable. To delineate more clearly the influence of the timing of surgery in the treatment of the disease, a prospective randomized clinical study of early surgery (less than 48 hours after admission) and delayed surgery (more than 48 hours after admission) was conducted in 165 patients. Ranson's prognostic signs of severity of disease were used to classify the patients into two risk groups: mild pancreatitis (three or fewer positive signs) and severe pancreatitis (more than three positive signs). In patients with three or fewer positive Ranson's signs, the time of surgery appeared to have little effect on the outcome, whereas in patients with more than three positive signs, early surgery resulted in a significant increase in rates of morbidity and mortality. Controlled randomization showed that in patients with gallstone pancreatitis, edematous or hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis can develop, with or without impacted stones, early or late in the progression of the disease, during early or delayed surgery. These findings suggest that (1) although a gallstone initiates a bout of pancreatitis, it does not cause the progression of the disease; (2) the fate of the progression of pancreatitis is decided early by the amount of digestive enzymes being activated; (3) early removal of an impacted stone does not ameliorate the progression of pancreatitis; and (4) surgery should be performed during the initial hospital admission after the pancreatitis has subsided.     

Serologic evidence for human ehrlichiosis in Africa

Human ehrlichiosis is a recently recognized rickettsial disease. It is caused byEhrlichia chaffeensis, an intraleucocytic Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium, grouped within the genusEhrlichiae. Most human cases of ehrlichiosis have been diagnosed in the USA. Two cases have been reported outside of the USA, one in Europe and one in Africa. From 1 January to 30 June 1992, 765 sera from blood donors or other asymptomatic subjects in 8 African countries, including Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Mali, Central African Republic, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Commores Islands, were tested by indirect immunofluorescence for the presence ofE. chaffeensis antibodies. Positive sera were confirmed by Western immunoblotting. Only two of 765 sera tested were positive. One serum obtained from Burkina Faso had an IgG titer of 1:200 and one from Mozambique had an IgG titer of 1:80. Human ehrlichiosis seems to occur infrequently in Africa, although many more sera from additional African countries need to be evaluated.     

Effects of age and age-related hearing loss on the neural representation of speech cues.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of aging and age-related hearing loss on the perception and neural representation of a time-varying speech cue. METHODS: P1, N1 and P2 cortical responses were recorded from younger and older normal-hearing adults, as well as older adults with age-related hearing loss. Synthetic speech tokens representing 10 ms increments along a /ba/-/pa/ voice-onset-time (VOT) continuum were used to evoke the responses. Each participant's ability to discriminate the speech tokens was also assessed. RESULTS: Compared with younger participants, older adults with and without hearing loss had more difficulty discriminating 10 ms VOT contrasts. In addition, both older groups elicited abnormal neural response patterns. There were no significant age-related findings for P1 latency; however, N1 latencies were prolonged for both older groups in response to stimuli with increased VOT durations. Also, P2 latencies were delayed for both older groups. The presence of age-related hearing loss resulted in a significant increase in N1 amplitude in response to voiceless stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: Aging and age-related hearing loss alter temporal response properties in the central auditory system. Because both older groups had difficulty discriminating these same speech stimuli, we conclude that some of the perceptual difficulties described by older adults might be due to age-related changes regulating excitatory and inhibitory processes. SIGNIFICANCE: Some of the speech understanding difficulties expressed by elderly adults may be related to impaired temporal precision in the aging auditory system. This might explain why older adults frequently complain that wearing a hearing aid makes speech louder, but does not necessarily improve their ability to understand speech.