Clonal analysis and virulence of Australian isolates of Streptococcus suis type 2.

Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis was used to divide 124 Australian isolates of Streptococcus suis type 2 into 17 electrophoretic types (ETs). Isolates in ET 1 were the most frequent cause of disease amongst Western Australian pigs, but isolates of ET 8 were more commonly associated with disease in other Australian states. Multiple isolates from 10 of 19 farms all belonged to the same ET, whilst isolates from the other farms belonged to between 2 and 4 different ETs. Some isolates could be differentiated further by DNA restriction endonuclease analysis, whilst others with the same restriction pattern were located in different, but closely-related ETs. Fourteen isolates were tested for their virulence in mice. Most caused disease if given in high numbers, but isolates in ET 1 were virulent at lower dose rates. This virulent clone also was distinguished by the fact that 80% of isolates produced extracellular factor (EF).     

Central administration of a specific angiotensin II receptor antagonist on baroreflex function in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

To determine whether the increase in baroreflex sensitivity previously reported in lifetime captopril-treated spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) was due to an inhibition of brain angiotensin II mechanisms, we tested the effect of intracerebroventricular administration of an angiotensin II receptor antagonist on baroreflex control of heart rate in lifetime captopril-treated and untreated male and female SHR. Baroreceptor reflex control of heart rate was assessed by the slope of the relationship between changes in mean arterial pressure (delta MAP, mmHg) and changes in pulse interval (delta PI, ms). MAP was raised and lowered with infusions of phenylephrine and nitroprusside, respectively. Following basal assessment of baroreflex control of heart rate, rats received an intracerebroventricular injection (100 pmol) of Sar1Thr8 angiotensin II (sarthran) and reflex control of heart rate was reassessed. Adequacy of blockade was tested with central and peripheral administration of angiotensin II. Captopril-treated male (130 +/- 7 mmHg) and female (123 +/- 4 mmHg) rats had significantly lower MAP than untreated rats (174 +/- 4 and 173 +/- 8 mmHg, respectively) and enhanced bradycardia in response to increases in MAP. Intracerebroventricular administration of sarthran had no effect on basal blood pressure or heart rate but enhanced the bradycardia in response to increases in MAP in both untreated and captopril-treated rats. The increase in the slope of the line relating delta MAP to delta PT was greater for untreated than captopril-treated SHR (male untreated 2.7-fold versus captopril-treated 1.5-fold; female untreated 1.6-fold versus captopril-treated 1.5-fold).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Mental disorder among homeless persons in the United States: An overview of recent empirical literature

Reviewed literature on the homeless reports higher rates of psychiatric disorder, psychological distress, and previous psychiatric hospitalization compared to the general population. However, understandardized methodology and lack of consistent findings across studies prohibit reliable prevalence estimates of mental disorder among the homeless.Dr. Robertson is with the Center for Research of Women of Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02181.     

Survival of corneal endothelium in McCarey-Kaufman (M-K) medium subjected to agitation

Studies were made comparing the corneal endothelium of bisected human corneas; one half of each was mechanically agitated in McCarey-Kaufman (M-K) medium, while the other half remained static in M-K medium for an equal period of time. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis of the corneal endothelium suggested that the endothelium of the corneas undergoing agitation does not show deterioration in morphology when compared with the non-agitated group. This finding is significant as donor corneas are now being transported in greater numbers.     

An 11-year follow-up of the effects of early bone grafting in infants born with complete clefts of the lip and palate

This is a report at the age of 11 years of a clinical study of the effects of early bone grafting in infants born with complete clefts of the lip and palate. Matched pairs of similar cleft type were treated according to the same treatment protocol with the exception that only one of each pair received an autogenous rib bone graft at the age of 15 months. The overall impression left by this study is that early bone grafting is not beneficial to the patient.     

The effects of hypo- and hyperthyroidism on fibre composition and mitochondrial enzyme activities in rat skeletal muscle.

Hypo- and hyperthyroidism have been associated with changes in the activities of mitochondrial enzymes in homogenates of skeletal muscles, but it is unclear whether such changes were due to changes in single fibre enzyme activities or to previously documented changes in relative numbers of fibres. In this study the activities of the mitochondrial enzymes alpha-glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase (m-alpha GPDH) and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) were measured in single fibres of the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles of the rat by cytochemical assays. In the soleus muscles of hypothyroid animals there was a decrease in the mean percentage (+/- S.D.) of type II fibres from 8.0 +/- 6.0 to 0.8 +/- 1.9% (P less than 0.05) and decreases in SDH activities in all fibre types (P less than 0.005). In the gastrocnemius muscles of these animals there were no changes in fibre composition but type IIB fibres had reduced (P less than 0.05) m-alpha GPDH activities. In the hyperthyroid animals, in which body weight had increased relative to the euthyroid animals, there were increases in the percentages of type IC and type II fibres in the soleus from 4.3 +/- 1.7 to 13.1 +/- 9.0% (P less than 0.05) and from 9.6 +/- 7.2 to 33.4 +/- 9.6% (P less than 0.005) respectively and an increase in the percentage of type IIA fibres in the gastrocnemius from 92.9 +/- 2.3 to 97.0 +/- 2.9% (P less than 0.05). However, there were no increases in single fibre mitochondrial enzyme activities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Organization of subcortical pathways for sensory projections to the limbic cortex. II. Afferent projections to the thalamic lateral dorsal nucleus in the rat

Afferent projections to the thalamic lateral dorsal nucleus were examined in the rat by the use of retrograde axonal transport techniques. Small iontophoretic injections of horseradish peroxidase were placed at various locations within the lateral dorsal nucleus, and the location and morphology of cells of origin of afferent projections were identified by retrograde labeling. For all cases examined, subcortical retrogradely labeled neurons were most prominent in the pretectal complex, the intermediate layers of the superior colliculus, and the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus. Labeled cells were also seen in the thalamic reticular nucleus and the zona incerta. Within the cerebral cortex, labeled cells were prominent in the retrosplenial areas (areas 29b, 29c, and 29d) and the presubiculum. Labeled cells were also seen in areas 17 and 18 of occipital cortex. Peroxidase injections in the dorsal lateral part of the lateral dorsal nucleus result in labeled neurons in all of the ipsilateral pretectal nuclei, but especially those that receive direct retinal afferents. Labeled cells were also seen in the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus and the rostral tip of laminae IV-VI of the superior colliculus. In contrast, peroxidase injections in ventral medial portions of the lateral dorsal nucleus result in fewer labeled pretectal cells, and these labeled cells are found exclusively in the pretectal nuclei that do not receive retinal afferents. Other labeled cells following injections in the rostral and medial portions of the lateral dorsal nucleus are seen contralaterally in the medial pretectal region and nucleus of the posterior commissure, and bilaterally in the rostral tips of laminae IV and V of the superior colliculus. Camera lucida drawings of HRP labeled cells reveal that projecting cells in each pretectal nucleus have a characteristic soma size and dendritic branching pattern. These results are discussed with regard to the type of sensory information that may reach the lateral dorsal nucleus and then be relayed on to the medial limbic cortex.     

Composition and surface properties of the bronchial lipids in adult patients with cystic fibrosis

Bronchial secretions from seven patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) were aspirated by fibreoptic bronchoscopy and analysed for lipid composition. The total lipid fraction was also used to measure dynamic surface tension. Pooled samples from 'normal' patients, healthy volunteers, patients with chronic bronchitis, and individual samples from two patients with bronchiectasis were used as controls. Increased bronchial inflammation and infection correlated with a decrease of the phospholipid fraction, and an increase of the cholesterol, diglyceride and triglyceride fractions. When individual phospholipids were analysed, patients with clinically severe CF showed a markedly decreased phosphatidylcholine fraction, whereas the phosphatidylinositol fraction was significantly higher in CF patients than in controls (p less than 0.05). Minimum surface tension was higher in CF patients compared to patients with chronic bronchitis (p less than 0.05). This might be related to earlier reported specific changes in the pattern of fatty acids of the CF bronchial phospholipids.     

Value of endoscopic surveillance in the detection of neoplastic change in Barrett's oesophagus

Fifty-six patients with Barrett's oesophagus diagnosed between 1977 and 1986 were prospectively studied by 6-monthly endoscopic surveillance and biopsy. During follow-up to-date, four patients have developed high-grade dysplasia and three have adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus. Two of the adenocarcinomas were preceded by progressively severe dysplastic changes but in the third no dysplasia had been previously detected. The incidence of adenocarcinoma was 1 per 56 patient-years of follow-up. Changes in symptomatology or gross endoscopic appearances were usually absent, even after adenocarcinoma had developed, indicating that biopsy is essential for early diagnosis. The high risk of malignant change makes endoscopic surveillance advisable in all patients with Barrett's oesophagus.