Expression of CD138 (Syndecan-1) in renal cell carcinoma is reduced with increasing nuclear grade.

CD138/Syndecan-1 is a cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan expressed on most epithelial cells, and decreased CD138 expression is associated with increased invasive and metastatic potential in carcinomas. CD138 expression has not been investigated previously in renal neoplasms. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 50 renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) (40 clear-cell RCCs of various nuclear grades, 10 of which harbored metastases; 6 papillary RCCs, 4 chromophobe RCCs) and 4 oncocytomas were stained immunohistochemically for CD138 using the monoclonal antibody B-B4 (CD138). Staining intensity and distribution were scored and results related to histologic type, nuclear grade, and local stage (pT). Immunoreactivity was membranous in all clear-cell RCCs, chromophobe RCCs, and oncocytomas and was located at the basal aspect of cytoplasm in papillary RCCs. In clear-cell RCCs, the extent of CD138 immunoreactivity decreased with increasing nuclear grade (P<0.001). No significant correlation was found between CD138 immunoreactivity and histologic type (P=0.2) or local stage (P=0.7). Metastatic foci showed a mild to moderate decrease in intensity compared with primary tumor. Decreased expression of CD138 may have a role in more aggressive behavior of clear-cell RCC.     

Resistance of chicks and poults fed vermicompost to caecal colonization by Salmonella

Vermicompost (VC) was produced by feeding the earthworm Eisenia foetida vegetable matter and fresh faeces from adult specific pathogen-free chickens. This was used as a competitive exclusion treatment for chicks and poults against challenge with Salmonella spp. One-day-old chicks and poults housed in floor pens, were treated with VC sprinkled on feed on days 1 and 2. For studies with Salmonella typhimurium, chicks were challenged on day 5 by either oral inoculation with 10(4 )colony-forming units (CFU) or by contact transmission and killed 7 to 9 days later. In four trials, conducted on a total of 412 VC-treated and 275 control chicks, and in one trial with about 40 poults per group, treatment with VC significantly reduced (P<0.01) caecal colonization by 5. typhimurium. For experiments with Salmonella enteritidis, chicks were challenged orally with 10(5 )CFU and kept in isolators on wire floors. They were also significantly protected (P<0.01) against caecal colonization by VC-treatment. In addition, in one trial S. enteriditis was isolated by enrichment techniques from the livers of nine of 10 non-treated and one of 39 VC-treated chicks.     

Vestibuloocular reflex of the adult flatfish. III. A species-specific reciprocal pattern of excitation and inhibition

In juvenile flatfish the vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) circuitry that underlies compensatory eye movements adapts to a 90 degrees relative displacement of vestibular and oculomotor reference frames during metamorphosis. VOR pathways are rearranged to allow horizontal canal-activated second-order vestibular neurons in adult flatfish to control extraocular motoneurons innervating vertical eye muscles. This study describes the anatomy and physiology of identified flatfish-specific excitatory and inhibitory vestibular pathways. In antidromically identified oculomotor and trochlear motoneurons, excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) were elicited after electrical stimulation of the horizontal canal nerve expected to provide excitatory input. Electrotonic depolarizations (0.8-0.9 ms) preceded small amplitude (<0.5 mV) chemical EPSPs at 1.2-1.6 ms with much larger EPSPs (>1 mV) recorded around 2.5 ms. Stimulation of the opposite horizontal canal nerve produced inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) at a disynaptic latency of 1.6-1.8 ms that were depolarizing at membrane resting potentials around -60 mV. Injection of chloride ions increased IPSP amplitude, and current-clamp analysis showed the IPSP equilibrium potential to be near the membrane resting potential. Repeated electrical stimulation of either the excitatory or inhibitory horizontal canal vestibular nerve greatly increased the amplitude of the respective synaptic responses. These observations suggest that the large terminal arborizations of each VOR neuron imposes an electrotonic load requiring multiple action potentials to maximize synaptic efficacy. GABA antibodies labeled axons in the medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF) some of which were hypothesized to originate from horizontal canal-activated inhibitory vestibular neurons. GABAergic terminal arborizations were distributed largely on the somata and proximal dendrites of oculomotor and trochlear motoneurons. These findings suggest that the species-specific horizontal canal inhibitory pathway exhibits similar electrophysiological and synaptic transmitter profiles as the anterior and posterior canal inhibitory projections to oculomotor and trochlear motoneurons. Electron microscopy showed axosomatic and axodendritic synaptic endings containing spheroidal synaptic vesicles to establish chemical excitatory synaptic contacts characterized by asymmetrical pre/postsynaptic membrane specializations as well as gap junctional contacts consistent with electrotonic coupling. Another type of axosomatic synaptic ending contained pleiomorphic synaptic vesicles forming chemical, presumed inhibitory, synaptic contacts on motoneurons that never included gap junctions. Altogether these data provide electrophysiological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural evidence for reciprocal excitatory/inhibitory organization of the novel vestibulooculomotor projections in adult flatfish. The appearance of unique second-order vestibular neurons linking the horizontal canal to vertical oculomotor neurons suggests that reciprocal excitation and inhibition are a fundamental, developmentally linked trait of compensatory eye movement circuits in vertebrates.     

Phenotypic mixing between reticuloendotheliosis virus and avian sarcoma viruses.

Coinfection of chicken embryo fibroblasts with reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) and avian sarcoma virus leads to the formation of avian sarcoma viral pseudotypes which carry envelope determinants of REV. These pseudotypes can be neutralized by REV antiserum, have a host range which is different from that of any known avian sarcoma virus, and are unable to form foci in cells preinfected with REV. The REV stocks used in these experiments were plaque-purified. They were free of avian leukosis virus detectable in the COFAL tests, and their ability to form pseudotypes with avian sarcoma virus was neutralized with specific REV antiserum.     

The role of extracellular slime in opsonophagocytosis of Staphylococcus epidermidis

Infections caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are a major problem in immunocompromised patients. It has been claimed that extracellular slime production by CNS predicts pathogenicity and inhibits host defences. Luminol-enhanced neutrophil chemiluminescence (CL) and bacterial killing assays were used to assess the effect of slime production on opsonophagocytosis and killing by polymorphonuclear leucocytes in vitro. There was wide variation in CL induction amongst the 43 strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis examined. The presence of slime had no influence either on the requirement or on the efficiency of opsonisation. Slime-producing and non-slime-producing strains showed a stepwise increase in induced CL up to a serum concentration of 10%, and were dependent on complement for efficient phagocytosis. The bacterial killing assays confirmed the CL results. Our data suggest that extracellular staphylococcal slime has no specific anti-opsonic property in vitro. Opsonophagocytosis may still be hampered in vivo by the physical presence of slime.     

Progestagen-releasing vaginal rings--an update

Marketing of an intravaginal ring that releases a progestagen at low dosage willbegin in 1985. The device is a silicone rubber toroidal ring 55.6 mm in diameter. Its active constituent is 5 mg of levonorgestrel, with an in vivo release rate of 20 mcg/day. The device is left in the vagina for 3 months, at which point a new ring is fitted. The device largely acts locally on the genital tract, altering cervical mucus so that it is relatively inpenetrable to sperm. Over 50% of cycles in device acceptors are ovulatory; 19% have inadequate luteal function and 29% are anovulatory. In a social acceptability study involving 27 ring users, all participants asserted at the 8 week follow up that the ring was the best method they had used and indicated an interest in continuing to use the device. Over 50% cited health reasons for this choice. The ring was viewed as less invasive than the IUD and more convenient than the diaphragm. The greatest criticism of the ring resulted from changed menstrual patterns; in most cases, however, it was the unexpectedness of the change rather than the change itself that concerned the user. Clinical trials have suggisted that the ring is viable in terms of its safety, efficacy, and overall acceptability. The pregnancy rate in 5500 woman-months of experinence stands at 3%, and there has been no evidence of an increased incidence of actopic pregnancy. Although 20% of women experienced expulsion of the device, only 2% discontinued use for thes reason. The continuation rate of 60% after 1 year's use compares favorably with other methods of hormonal contraception.