Pelvic lipomatosis in a child

We report a 10-year-old boy with pelvic lipomatosis causing chronic urinary retention. CT scan features, therapy and review of the literature are discussed.     

Factors regulating the influence of melatonin on hippocampal evoked potentials: comparative studies on different strains of mice

Sexual dimorphisms are present throughout the zebra finch song system, from forebrain centers to the tracheosyringeal portion of the hypoglossal nucleus (nXIIts) to the muscles of the syrinx (vocal organ). In females, gonadal steroids administered during development can partially masculinize the telencephalic areas, and in adulthood can increase the size of syrinx muscles. In the present study, two experiments were designed to investigate the role of early androgen and estrogen in the development of nXIIts and the ventralis and dorsalis muscles of the syrinx. In experiment one, males and females were treated with testosterone, estradiol, dihydrotestosterone, the anti-androgen flutamide, or a vehicle control for 21 days after hatching. At day 60, nXIIts volume, motoneuron soma size and number were assessed, as well as syrinx weight and the size of ventralis and dorsalis fibers. In experiment two, animals were administered either the estrogen synthesis inhibitor, fadrozole, or vehicle, and the syrinx measurements were taken at day 60. Male-biased sex differences were detected on all measures in both experiments, and several right-side biases were detected. In females, dihydrotestosterone masculinized soma size in nXIIts and testosterone slightly increased syrinx weight. E2 feminized the syrinx of males. However, flutamide did not prevent masculine development of either structure, and fadrozole did not inhibit feminine syrinx development. These results are consistent with the idea that, as in the forebrain, steroid hormones can stimulate aspects of sexual differentiation, but they may not be direct triggers for the process.     

Protective effect of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) against norgestrel induced genotoxic damage.

Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) is a phenolic lignan and possesses antioxidant and number of properties potentially useful to man. The effect of NDGA was studied against norgestrel induced genotoxic damage, using sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), chromosomal aberrations (CAs), mitotic index (MI) and replication index (RI) as parameters. Amounts of 5, 10 and 20 microM of norgestrel was tested for its genotoxic effect in the absence as well as presence of S9 mix, and was found to be genotoxic at 10 and 20 microM in the presence of S9 mix. Again, 10 microM of norgestrel was treated with 0.5 and 1 microM of NDGA, separately, in the presence of S9 mix. Similar treatment was given with 20 microM of norgestrel. Treatments given with NDGA result in the reduction of SCE, CA and increase of MI as well as RI, suggesting its protective action on human lymphocytes in vitro against the norgestrel induced genotoxic damage.     

The role of microembolisation in cerebral injury as defined by functional magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE: Cerebral injury, in both overt and subtle forms, is common following cardiac surgery. Current methods of assessment, most commonly neuropsychological testing, have several limitations and do not accurately define the anatomical and functional injury that occurs. We have assessed the degree of cerebral injury following on-pump and off-pump cardiac surgery using functional magnetic resonance imaging and correlated this with the severity of microembolism as measured by transcranial Doppler ultrasound. METHODS: Sixteen patients undergoing cardiac surgery (8 off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 4 on-pump CABG and 4 open-heart surgery) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain pre-operatively and 4 weeks post-operatively. The functional magnetic resonance images demonstrated brain activation during performance of a verbal working memory paradigm. Each patient had continuous transcranial Doppler monitoring intraoperatively using a recently validated technique (multirange, multifrequency Doppler) that allows rejection of artefacts and separation of gas and solid microemboli. Covariate analysis of pre- and post-operative functional magnetic resonance images was performed to correlate local mean signal intensity change with the extent of gas and solid microembolism. RESULTS: The median number of microemboli was 34 (range 10-176) in the off-pump group, 229 (range 127-314) in the on-pump CABG group, and 1220 (range 874-1261) in the open-heart group (P<0.05). The proportion of solid microemboli was significantly lower in the off-pump group in comparison to the on-pump CABG and open-heart groups (9 vs. 25 vs. 20%, respectively, P<0.01). Comparison of pre- and post-operative functional magnetic resonance images demonstrated an overall reduction in task-associated activation in the post-operative period. However, and paradoxically, in certain specific regions of interest there was an increase in the signal intensity which correlated with the total number of microemboli (r=0.9, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing on-pump surgery have a higher degree of gas and solid microembolism which correlates with post-operative cerebral functional MRI activation. As activation with functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain is known to be sensitive to a wide range of insults, it may prove to be a useful marker of perioperative cerebral injury that could help in the evaluation of potential cerebroprotective strategies.     

Effect of the antenatal administration of celecoxib during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy on prostaglandin, cytokine, and nitric oxide levels in rabbits

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of celecoxib on prostaglandin, cytokine, and nitric oxide synthesis in the pregnant rabbit. STUDY DESIGN: Pregnant rabbits received celecoxib from 13 to 20 days (celecoxib-A), from 13 to 28 days (celecoxib-B), or vehicle from 13 to 28 days by gavage. Blood and tissue were assayed for prostaglandin, cytokine, and nitric oxide oxidation products. RESULTS: Preterm delivery occurred in 4 of 11 controls, 0 of 9 in celecoxib-A, and 0 of 8 in celecoxib-B. Plasma prostaglandin F(2alpha) was reduced in both treated groups at 20 days and at delivery in celecoxib-B. Plasma thromboxane B(2) was suppressed in celecoxib-B at 20 days and delivery. Cervical prostaglandin E(2) was increased; uterine and cervical plasma thromboxane B(2) declined in celecoxib-B. Celecoxib administration suppressed plasma nitric oxide oxidation products at delivery and cervical nitric oxide oxidation products in celecoxib-B. Uterine and cervical interleukin-1beta and interleukin-6 were decreased, and uterine tumor necrosis factor-alpha increased in celecoxib-B. CONCLUSION: Further studies are required to evaluate the therapeutic benefits of cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors in the setting of preterm parturition.     

Disease laterality,eye dominance,and visual handicap in patients with unilateral full thickness macular holes

AIM: To investigate the association between visual handicap, laterality, and historical eye dominance in patients presenting with unilateral full thickness macular holes (FTMH). METHODS: Consecutive patients presenting with unilateral FTMH and no other visually significant ocular pathology including abnormalities of binocular vision were included. A questionnaire and case note review were performed to determine the mode of presentation, presence of symptomatic binocular interference, historically dominant eye, and whether they elected to undergo surgery. RESULTS: 44 eyes of 44 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. 21 (48%) affected eyes were right sided and 56% of FTMH were in the historically dominant eye. 76% of FTMH in historically dominant eyes presented symptomatically compared to 36% in non-dominant eyes (p= 0.003). 72% of patients with FTMH affecting their historically dominant eye were aware of binocular interference in day to day binocular viewing compared with 21% when the FTMH was in the non-dominant eye (p= 0.001). 23 (52%) patients elected to undergo surgery, of whom 18/23(78%) had FTMH in their historically dominant eye (p= 0.0003). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that eye dominance may be an important determinant of the visual handicap suffered by patients with unilateral FTMH.