A CHANGE IN SUSCEPTIBILITY OF RAT CEREBELLAR PURKINJE CELLS TO DAMAGE BY ALCOHOL DURING FETAL, NEONATAL AND ADULT LIFE

Phillips S.C. & Cragg B.G.1982 Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 8, 441–454
A change in susceptibility of rat cerebellar Purkinje cells to damage by alcohol during fetal, neonatal and adult life
The sensitivity of rat cerebellar Purkinje cells to ethanol exposure during fetal, neonatal or adult life was assessed by histological techniques. Pregnant female rats were exposed to ethanol vapour during the last 2 weeks of gestation. Purkinje cells were counted 5 days after the pups were born. The number of Purkinje cells in lobe VIII was reduced by 45%, and the linear density of Purkinje cells in lobe I was 47% less than in controls not exposed to ethanol. Smaller reductions were found in other lobes. The weight of the cerebellum was reduced by 34%. Neonatal rats were exposed to ethanol vapour briefly during daylight hours on the third and fourth days after birth. Purkinje cells were counted on the fifth day after birth, and losses similar to those described above were found, with additional significant reductions of cell numbers in lobe I and of Purkinje cell density in lobe VIII. The weight of the cerebellum was reduced by only 4%. Adult male rats were exposed to ethanol vapour for 3 weeks and no Purkinje cell losses were subsequently found. The dura overlying the cerebellum of separate adult male rats was superfused with 100% ethanol for 1 h and no abnormalities were detected with electron microscopy in the exposed cortex 6 days later. It is remarkable that the brief neonatal treatment caused a more widespread loss of Purkinje cells than the 10 days of exposure to ethanol in utero , whereas the Purkinje cells present in adult animals show a great resistance to ethanol. The neonatal period seems to be a time of high susceptibility of Purkinje cells to ethanol.     

Regional block and DVT prophylaxis

The last few years have seen increasing concerns among anaesthetistsabout the risks of pharmacological prophylaxis for thromboembolicdisease. Increased bleeding during or after surgery is one concern,but of greater significance is the possibility of an increasedpredisposition to haematoma formation when regional block isused. Most of the recent consideration of this problem has beenin relation to vertebral canal haematoma formation after centralnerve block. Some thought must be given also to the possibilityof haematoma formation after peripheral techniques when thetarget nerve is deeply placed so that pressure cannot be usedto control bleeding after needle insertion. However, this reviewwill be focused on vertebral canal haematoma.     

Round window membrane rupture and acquired sensorineural hearing loss in children

Round window membrane rupture and acquired sensorineural hearing loss in children The aetiology of acquired sensorineural hearing loss includes many conditions. The disparity between the number of children affected by the conditions which are supposed to cause hearing loss and the number of children who are actually deaf, has never been satisfactorily explained. Clinical features observed in children with surgically proven round window membrane rupture have been noted in all conventional aetiological groups. These features include otitis media, doubt about the hearing status in early life, disturbance of balance and other occasional neurological phenomena. Wide variation in the appearance of round window niche has been observed in children with secretory otitis and similar appearances have been observed in children with proven round window membrane rupture. The appearances may represent a reaction to perilymph. Round window membrane rupture is probably common and may prove to be a unifying factor for many cases of acquired sensorineural hearing loss. Occasional neurological phenomena may be related to it.     

Prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Canadians 55 to 74 years of age: results from the Canadian Heart Health Surveys, 1986-1992

BACKGROUND: By 2016, the proportion of Canadians older than 65 years of age will increase to 16%, and there will be an increase in the absolute number of cases of cardiovascular disease in older Canadians. The Canadian Heart Health Surveys database provides information about this population upon which health policy related to cardiovascular disease can be based. This paper presents for the first time population-based data on the risk factors for cardiovascular disease in older Canadians. METHODS: Canadians from all 10 provinces participated in surveys of cardiovascular risk factors; health insurance registries were used as sampling frames. In each province, probability samples of 2200 adults 18 to 74 years old not living in institutions, on reserves or in military camps were asked to participate in interviews and to undergo testing at clinics for major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. RESULTS: A total of 2739 men (response rate 70%) and 2617 women (response rate 66%) aged 55 to 74 years participated in the survey and also provided follow-up clinical measurements at the clinic. Overall, 52% of participants were hypertensive, 26% had isolated systolic hypertension, and 30% had a total blood cholesterol level of 6.2 mmol/L or greater. Rates of current smoking were lower in women than men (17% v. 22%). Overall, 87% of men and 78% of women who were current smokers smoked at least 10 cigarettes per day. Only slightly more than half of participants exercised at least once a week for at least 15 minutes, and almost half had a body mass index of 27 or greater. In only 4% was no major risk factor for cardiovascular disease detected. INTERPRETATION: Significant numbers of older Canadians have one or more major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Many of these risk factors are amenable to modification.