A Cross-cultural Study of Alcohol Dependence in Singapore

This is a comparative study of alcohol dependence in Chinese and Indian patients admitted to a hospital in Singapore. There were 46 patients-21 Chinese and 35 Indians. In both ethnic groups there was a preponderance of male over female patients. There was no significant difference in the mean ages of the two groups but Indian patients started drinking at an earlier age and more of them had a family history of alcohol problems. Comparing the severity of alcohol dependence, Indian patients scored higher on the SADQ but no patients scored above 30 points.     

Histopathologic studies of the liver following intravenous colloidal 198Au therapy

Histologic studies of liver tissue from 27 patients given up to 395 mCi (cumulative) of intravenous colloidal 198Au showed no definite radiation injury and no correlation between hepatic abnormalities and dose. Demonstration of aggregates of colloidal gold in the Kupffer cells was inconsistent, suggesting slow removal or dispersion. Although the liver ordinarily receives the highest radiation dose, the critical organ is the marrow. Results support the recent introduction of 198Au to supplement teletherapy for certain neoplasms diffusely infiltrating the liver. Apparently the beta distribution minimizes endothelial injury in large vessels, which has been shown to be the cause of radiation hepatitis.     

Interdigitating cell sarcoma. A morphologic, immunohistologic, and enzyme-histochemical study

A 58-year-old man presented with an unusual sarcoma of the cervical lymph node. The tumor also involved the mesenteric lymph node and jejunum. Tumor cells possessed intracytoplasmic S100 protein, Leu-3a (T4), and HLA-DR antigens. The neoplastic cells also showed membranous ATPase activity. LeuM1, T6, Leu1, Leu2a, B1, lysozyme, and immunoglobulin were not recognized. Their fine structure was similar to that of interdigitating cells. These data are consistent with derivation from lymph node interdigitating reticulum cell.     

Distinct role of nitric oxide and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor in renal microcirculation. Studies in the isolated perfused hydronephrotic kidney

BACKGROUND: Both nitric oxide (NO) and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) are established as important factors determining the vascular tone. The relative contribution of these factors to the renal microvascular tone, however, has not been delineated. METHODS: Isolated perfused hydronephrotic rat kidneys were used to characterize the relative role of NO and EDHF in mediating the tone of interlobular arteries (ILA) and afferent arterioles (AFF). RESULTS: During the norepinephrine constriction, acetylcholine (ACH, 1 micromol/l) induced a sustained vasodilation of ILA (90 +/- 9% reversal) and AFF (117 +/- 13% reversal). In the presence of nitro-L-arginine methylester (LNAME), the ACH-induced vasodilation of ILA and AFF was converted to transient dilation, with only 53 +/- 7 and 32 +/- 7% reversal observed 10 min after 1 micromol/l ACH (i.e sustained phase). In contrast, LNAME had no effect on the initial phase of ACH-induced dilation. In the presence of apamin + charybdotoxin, the initial vasodilator response to ACH (1 micromol/l) was diminished (ILA, from 108 +/- 8 to 46 +/- 9%; AFF, from 108 +/- 14 to 58 +/- 8%), whereas no impairment was observed in sustained phases. Furthermore, the magnitude of the vasoconstriction caused by LNAME was greater at smaller vessel segments. Finally, the LNAME-induced inhibition of the sustained phase of ACH-induced vasodilation was greater as the vessel diameter decreased. CONCLUSIONS: That the relative contribution of NO and EDHF differs, with a greater role of NO in the basal tone and ACH-induced vasodilation at smaller vascular segments of ILA and AFF.     

Increased cortical activation during hearing of speech in cochlear implant users

To investigate the cortical activities while listening to noise and speech in cochlear implant (CI) users, we compared cerebral blood flow in postlingually deafened CI users with that in normal hearing subjects using positron emission tomography. While noise activation in CI users did not significantly differ from that in normal subjects, hearing speech activated more cortical areas in CI users than in normal subjects. A comparison of speech activation in these two groups revealed higher activation in CI users not only in the temporal cortices but also in Broca's area and its right hemisphere homologue, the supplementary motor area and the anterior cingulate gyrus. In postlingually deafened subjects, the hearing of speech coded by CI may be accompanied by increased activation of both the temporal and frontal cortices.     

The effect of sequential lesioning in the basal forebrain on cerebral cortical glucose metabolism in rats. An animal positron emission tomography study

We studied the effect of the cortical projection from the basal forebrain on the cerebral cortical metabolism using positron emission tomography (PET) with [¹⁸F] fluorodeoxyglucose. Unilateral damage of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) did not cause a permanent reduction of cortical metabolism: recovery was observed 4 weeks after the operation. Destruction of the contralateral side after recovery from unilateral damage produced persistent bilateral suppression of glucose metabolism, with partial recovery. We speculate that recovery from the unilateral NBM lesions is partly ascribable to the cholinergic projection from the contralateral NBM, and partly due to non-cholinergic systems, and conclude that bilateral damage might be responsible for persistent cortical glucose metabolism suppression.     

Role of the new bioimpedance monitoring device (Seca®) in assessing dry weight in hemodialysis patients

Clinical and Experimental Nephrology - In recent years, bioimpedance analysis has come to be widely used in clinical practice for dialysis patients, but there is not sufficient consensus on its...     

Yohimbine-induced alterations of monoamine metabolism in the spontaneously hypertensive rat of the Okamoto strain (SHR). II. The central nervous system (CNS)

Steady state levels of monoamine neurotransmitters were examined in SHR, a genetic model of hypertension and compared to its normotensive control (WKY). SHR and WKY were also challenged with alpha 2-adrenergic antagonists, (yohimbine, YOH, idazoxan) or an alpha 1-antagonist (prazosin) and alterations in CNS monoamine metabolism evaluated. SHR were found to have elevated levels of NE and 5-HT in a number of brain regions involved in cardiovascular control when compared to WKY. DA levels and metabolism were also altered in the SHR. Blockade of alpha 2-adrenoceptors and other direct and indirect actions of YOH exacerbated the abnormalities in central monoaminergic neurotransmission in SHR. Significant decreases in NE content were produced by YOH or idazoxan treatment in both SHR and WKY, presumably the result of the inhibition of alpha 2-adrenoceptor medicated presynaptic control of NE release. YOH treatment abolished the differences in steady state levels of NE between SHR and WKY, however, idazoxan did not. YOH administration resulted in significant increases in DA and 5-HT in a number of brain regions of both SHR and WKY. Idazoxan or prazosin produced few changes in DA and 5-HT metabolism except for increases in DA content in the spinal cord and brainstem of SHR given idazoxan. The YOH-induced increases in DA and 5-HT content of SHR were of a greater magnitude than the WKY in several brain regions. DOPAC levels were significantly elevated by YOH in both WKY and SHR, reflecting the antidopaminergic properties of YOH. 5-HIAA content was significantly reduced by YOH in a number of brain regions in both SHR and WKY, however, this effect was attenuated in several brain regions in SHR. The results of the present study demonstrate the multifarious nature of the alterations in CNS monoamine metabolism in SHR.     

Magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging is useful in the differential diagnosis between low-grade adenoma and early cancer of superficial elevated gastric lesions

Background

The usefulness of magnifying gastroscopy has been reported in differentiating between benign and malignant gastric mucosal lesions. However, there have been no studies of the usefulness of magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (M-NBI) in the diagnosis of superficial (non-polypoid) elevated lesions of the stomach. In this study, we investigated the ability of M-NBI to differentiate between cancer and adenoma in superficial elevated lesions of the stomach.

Methods

We examined 93 consecutive superficial elevated lesions of the stomach. We defined the endoscopic criteria for early cancer as red coloring using conventional white light imaging (C-WLI), and an irregular microvascular pattern with a demarcation line, or irregular microsurface pattern with a demarcation line, using M-NBI. We determined the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of C-WLI and M-NBI in the diagnosis of these 93 lesions.

Results

The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy (95 % confidence interval) of C-WLI versus M-NBI were 64 % (52–76 %) versus 95 % (90–100 %), 94 % (86–100 %) versus 88 % (77–99 %), and 74 % (66–83 %) versus 92 % (86–98 %), respectively. Sensitivity and accuracy were significantly higher for M-NBI than C-WLI.

Conclusions

M-NBI appears to be useful in differentiating between cancerous and adenomatous superficial elevated lesions of the stomach.