Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in childhood herpesvirus infections

We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate nine children with neurologic disorders caused by infections with members of the herpesvirus family. MRI studies were abnormal in eight children and demonstrated a wide range of central nervous system lesions, including cystic encephalomalacia, ventricular enlargement, cerebral atrophy and focal parenchymal lesions. When compared with conventional computed tomographic scanning, MRI was more sensitive in detecting abnormalities of white matter and in defining the extent of parenchymal lesions. These studies indicate that MRI scans are highly useful in children with herpesvirus infections involving the central nervous system.     

Local and central sympathetic reflex control of blood flow in skeletal muscle and subcutaneous tissue in normal man

Summary. The effect of age and sex on relative changes in blood flow and vascular resistance in skeletal muscle and subcutaneous tissue during postural changes and during local increase in transmural pressure was studied in 33 healthy subjects. The intra-individual variation was studied in five subjects. Blood flow was measured by the local ¹³³Xenon wash-out method. No relation to age or sex was seen in the centrally elicited sympathetic vasoconstrictor responses in subcutaneous tissue and skeletal muscle and in the locally elicited vasoconstriction in subcutaneous tissue. A small, but statistically significant, correlation to sex and age was found in the local sympathetic vasoconstrictor response in skeletal muscle. The age correlation was caused only by an attenuated response in the young subjects below 40 years of age and may be fortuitous. The intra-individual variation was acceptably small. Based on the present results, a reduction in blood flow in skeletal muscle and subcutaneous tissue during centrally or locally elicited sympathetic vasoconstriction of 10% or less should be considered abnormal. The local ¹³³Xenon wash-out method is of value in examining patients suspected of dysfunction in the sympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system.     

Pulse methotrexate therapy in rheumatoid arthritis. A controlled prospective roentgenographic study

Study Objective: To assess whether weekly pulse methotrexate therapy alters radiographic progression of joint disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Design: Prospective, controlled study. Hand, wrist and foot roentgenograms obtained before, at the onset of, and during methotrexate treatment were scored for degree of joint-space narrowing and erosions by three rheumatologists using a standard method. Patients: Sequential sample of 24 patients with active definite or classical rheumatoid arthritis and previous unsuccessful treatment; of these, 3 were excluded due to drug ineffectiveness; 2, due to side effects; and 1, due to refusal to take methotrexate. Interventions: Treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and prednisone was continued. Methotrexate was given weekly to control clinical evidence of disease in patients. Measurements and Main Results: After having had an average of 30 months of therapy, the 18 patients who continued to receive methotrexate therapy showed significant (p less than 0.05) clinical improvement, as evidenced by their decreased joint counts and joint scores, duration of morning stiffness, pain scales, and sedimentation rates. Despite patients' prolonged clinical improvement, the mean rate of development of erosions and joint-space narrowing during methotrexate therapy was not significantly different from the rate of radiographic progression before methotrexate therapy (0.043 compared with 0.041; p greater than 0.05). Conclusions: Weekly pulse methotrexate is effective for the long-term management of clinical disease activity in patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis but may not be a disease-modifying agent by roentgenographic criteria.     

Flavonoids from the leaves ofRhododendron brachycarpum

The flavonoids isolated from the leaves ofRhododendron brachycarpum, were identified as quercetin, avicularin, quercitrin and hyperin.     

The Effect of Intensive Insulin Therapy on the Insulin-regulatable Glucose Transporter (GLUT4) Expression in Skeletal Muscle in Type 1 Diabetes

Studies in normal man and rodents have demonstrated that the expression of the dominant glucose transporter in skeletal muscle, GLUT4, is regulated by insulin at supraphysiological circulating levels. The present study was designed to determine whether intensified insulin replacement therapy for 24 h given to patients with Type 1 diabetes in poor metabolic control was associated with an adaptive regulation of GLUT4 mRNA and protein levels in vastus lateralis muscle. Nine Type 1 diabetic patients with a mean HbA_1c of 10.3% were included in the protocol. After intensified treatment with soluble insulin for 24 h the fasting plasma glucose concentration decreased from 20.8 ± 2.3 (SD) to 8.7 ± 2.3 mmol 1^?1 whereas the fasting serum insulin level increased from 0.06 ± 0.02 to 0.17 ± 0.09 nmol 1^?1 However, despite a 2.8-fold increase in serum insulin levels and more than a halving of the plasma glucose concentration for at least 15 h no significant alterations occurred in the amount of GLUT4 protein (0.138 ± 0.056, poor control vs 0.113 ± 0.026 arb. units, improved control, p = 0.16) or GLUT4 mRNA (96432 ± 44985, poor control vs 81395 ± 25461 arb. units, improved control, p = 0.54). These results suggest, that in spite of evidence that high insulin levels affect GLUT4 expression in muscle, changes in serum insulin within the physiological range do not play a major role in the short-term regulation of GLUT4 expression in Type 1 diabetic patients.     

Isolation of hepatic drug metabolism inhibitors from the seeds ofMyristica fragrans

The hexane extract from Nutmeg, the seed ofMyristica fragrans significantly inhibited hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme activity. Through systematic fractionation by SiO₂ column and vacuum liquid chromatography monitoring by bioassay, three components, myristicin, (I), licarin-B(II) and dehydrodiisoeugenol(III) were isolated as active principles. Compounds II and III, with a single treatment (200 mg/kg, i.p.) showed not only a significant prolongation of hexobarbital-induced sleeping time but also a significant inhibition of aminopyrine N-demethylase and hexobarbital hydroxylase activities in mice. Compounds I and II provoked a sleep episode at a subhypnotic dose of HB, suggesting that they posses CNS-depressant properties.     

Flavonoids ofElscholtzia cristata

Apigenin, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, luteolin-7-O-glucoside and linarin were isolated fromElscholtzia cristata (Labiatae).