SHORT COMMUNICATION: Peroxisomal enzyme induction uncoupled from enhanced DNA synthesis in putative preneoplastic liver foci of rats treated with a single dose of the peroxisome proliferator nafenopin

Putative preneoplastic foci of spontaneous origin could be detectedin the livers of 2 year old, untreated male Wistar rats. Theunaltered and preneoplastic hepatocytes showed an identicalexpression of the peroxisomal marker enzyme acyl-CoA oxidase,as determined by immunohistochemical staining. A single doseof the peroxisome proliferator (PP) nafenopin (NAF) inducedthe enzyme predominantly in hepatocytes around the central venulesand cell replication mainly in the periportal areas. However,upon one NAF application almost all of the preneoplastic focishowed a considerably weaker immunoreaction for peroxisomalacyl-CoA oxidase than the surrounding tissue. ConcomitantlyNAF elevated replicative DNA synthesis index in foci up to     

Structure of an antimutagen from Carmona retusa leaves

An antimutagenic compound was isolated from the leaves of Carmonaretusa (Vahl) Masam. Its structure has been elucidated by spectralanalysis to be 4-hydroxy-7,8,11,12,15,7',8',ll',12',15'-decahydro-ß,-carotene. The results of the Micronucleus Test, an in vivomethod, showed that the isolated antimutagenic compound reducedby 68.4% the number of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytesinduced by tetracycline, a known mutagen.     

Arachidonic acid modulates [14C]stearic acid incorporation into phosphatidylinositol,in human neuroblastoma cells

In the human neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-BE(2), arachidonic acid (AA), supplied in the medium at micromolar concentrations, markedly ehnanced [¹⁴C]stearic acid (SA) (but not [¹⁴C]palmitic acid or [¹⁴C]oleic acid) incorporation into phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns). AA failed to stimulate [¹⁴C]SA incorporation into PtdIns precursors, namely phosphatidic acid and cytidinediphosphodiacylglycerol; furthermore, enhanced [¹⁴C]SA incorporation, brought about by exogenously administered AA, was not restricted to PtdIns tetraenoic species. When cells were pulsed for 1 h with [¹⁴C]SA (either in the presence or absence of AA) and then reincubated in AA- and [¹⁴C]SA-free medium, a marked loss of radioactivity from PtdIns was observed, that however was restricted to molecular species other than tetraenoic. These results are discussed in the light of possible mechanisms through which PtdIns achieves the 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonoyl configuration.     

Monoamines modulate the electrically-evoked efflux of 3H-choline from slices of guinea pig nucleus basalis magnocellularis

The influence exerted by monoamines on acetylcholine release was studied in electrically stimulated slices of guinea pig nucleus basalis magnocellularis (nbM) prelabelled with ³H-choline (3H-Ch).Noradrenaline, 30 M, and clonidine, 1 M, reduced the evoked ³H-Ch efflux by about 50%, but phenylephrine, 100 M. did not; idazoxan, 0.1 M. but not prazosin, 1 M, antagonized these effects. pointing to the involvement of alpha₂ receptors. Apomorphine, 1 or 30 M. reduced ³H-Ch efflux from nbM slices as well. The effect was shared by quinpirole, 1 or 10 M, but not by 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-benz-azepine (SKF 38393). 10 M, and was antagonized by sulpiride, 1 M, but not by R-(+)-8-chloro-2,3,4,5-tetra-hydro-3-methyl-5-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepin-7-ol (SCH 23390). 1 M, suggesting the involvement of the D₂ receptor subtype.5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) 0.3–30 M, and alphamethyl-5-HT, 10 M, significantly increased ³H-Ch efflux from nbM slices; the 5-HT₂ antagonist ritanserin, 1 M. prevented this response. 2-methyl-5-HT, 1–30 M, inhibited the evoked ³H-Ch efflux and its effect was prevented by the 5-HT₃ antagonist 1H,3,5H-tropan-3-yl-3,5-dichlorobenzoate (MDL 72222). 1 M.These findings indicate that i) catecholamines inhibit nbM neurons through alpha₂ and D₂ receptors and that ii) a complex serotonergic modulation of cholinergic function exists in the nbM, involving the activation of various receptor subtypes. which can mediate opposite responses. Correspondence to: A. Siniscalchi at the above address     

Renal tubular acidosis in the Silver-Russell syndrome

Several patients with the Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) attending our Genetics Clinic were diagnosed as having persistent metabolic acidosis. Since this abnormality has not been reported previously in the SRS, we reexamined 33 SRS patients to evaluate the frequency and type of metabolic acidosis, the clinical and laboratory findings, and the growth pattern in SRS patients with and without metabolic acidosis. Among them, 14 had a consistent decrease in HCO levels. Renal studies in acidotic patients showed urine pH of 5.8 and 24 h urine calcium of <2.4 mg/kg/24 h; serum creatinine, excretion of glucose, and aminoacids were normal, as were renal ultrasound and excretory urography findings. These data supported the diagnosis of renal tubular acidosis, probably type II; the patients were treated with oral bicarbonate and acidosis was corrected successfully. Clinical manifestations were similar in acidotic and non-acidotic patients. The nutritional indices at diagnosis and at last evaluation (at least 8 months after diagnosis) were abnormally low in all patients; however, acidotic patients, treated with bicarbonate, showed an improvement of nutritional status particularly in the weight/height index, although the difference between groups after follow-up did not reach statistical significance. We suggest that metabolic acidosis due to renal tubular acidosis, probably type II, may occur in children with the SRS and should be looked for and treated in all patients. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Reliability and validity of measures of cardiac output during incremental to maximal aerobic exercise. Part I: Conventional techniques

The assessment of cardiac function, particularly cardiac output (Q) during heavy exercise is essential for the evaluation of cardiovascular factors that might limit oxygen transport. A series of invasive and noninvasive techniques has been developed for the assessment and monitoring of Q during resting and submaximal exercise conditions. However, very few techniques have been found to give accurate and reliable determinations of Q during vigorous to maximum exercise. For exercise physiologists and sport cardiologists, maximal exercise data are of primary importance. The 'gold standard' measures of cardiac function are considered to be the direct Fick and dye-dilution methods. These have been widely shown to give accurate and reliable determinations of Q during resting and submaximal exercise conditions; however, their use during maximal exercise conditions is debatable due to the inherent risks involved with each and their increasing inaccuracy during the later stages of vigorous exercise. Thermodilution has also been considered to be a relatively good method for the determination of Q during rest and exercise conditions, but recent authors have questioned its use due to the nature of the measure and its inaccuracy during strenuous exercise. Various noninvasive measures of cardiac function have been developed to overcome the problems associated with the 'gold standard' measures. The first part of this article discusses conventional techniques used in exercise physiology settings. The majority of these provide accurate and reliable determinations of Q during rest and submaximal exercise. However, very few techniques are suitable for maximal exercise conditions. Perhaps only the foreign gas rebreathe using acetylene (C2H2) meets all the criteria of being noninvasive, simple to use, reliable over repeated measurements, accurate and useful during maximal exercise.     

Pilot study of a visitor volunteer programme for community elderly people receiving home health care

There is a need to evaluate community support programmes for elderly people. In this randomized control trial (RCT), we determined the effectiveness of 'friendly visitors' in a volunteer programme of a visiting nurses organization in Southern Ontario, Canada. The Volunteer Friendly Visitor Programme was developed to support elderly people receiving homemaking and nursing care in the community. Volunteers are screened, trained, interviewed and matched to homebound elderly clients for general interest, visit expectations and personality. Volunteers spend three to four hours on average per week with clients socializing in mutually agreed-upon ways. The nursing staff identified clients who were lonely for this additional support. These newly-referred clients were randomly allocated to receive a friendly visitor or not for six weeks. Those receiving the volunteer visitor improved in life satisfaction and two social support measures: worth and social integration. Thus, the addition of volunteer visitors to planned homemaking and nursing care made a difference for elderly in the community.     

Kraepelin-oriented research-diagnosable schizophrenia,mania, and depression in schneider-negative schizophrenics

Summary The rigorous neo-Kraepelinean research criteria of the St. Louis/ Iowa and Taylor groups were applied to case record data of 116 first admissions of Schneider-negative schizophrenics—that is, those without first-rank symptoms (FRSs)—hospitalized in a strongly Schneider-oriented German University Psychiatric Clinic from 1962 to 1971. This sample had a total of 45.7% (53 cases) of psychiatric illness diagnosable by research methods. Indeed, only 31% (36 cases) of Schneider-negative schizophrenics turned out to have research-positive Kraepelin-oriented schizophrenia; and of these, 21 fulfilled both sets of research criteria for schizophrenia. It is important that 14.6% (17 cases) of Schneider-negative schizophrenia consisted of research-diagnosable affective disorder, with mania making up 5.2% and depression 9.4% of this figure. The findings suggest that a sample of Schneider-oriented schizophrenia without FRSs as routinely diagnosed in Germany does not seem to represent a clear-cut homogeneous and uncontaminated group of schizophrenics.     

The well-baby clinic

The termwell-baby clinic (literally, a clinic that concerns itself with healthy infants) is probably better known in the United States, where such clinics exist, than in central Europe, where, on the whole, they do not. For the convenience of readers accustomed to it a formal definition is proffered: A well-baby clinic is a service center, with emphasis on physical and mental hygiene and prophylaxis, where mothers are seen with their young, healthy infants and helped to understand and manage the infant's unfolding maturation [1: p. 5] and development [1: p. 5]. This may serve to differentiate well-baby clinics, on the one hand, from clinics for sick children and child guidance clinics (usually resorted to after disturbances have emerged) and, on the other hand, from maternity and child welfare clinics, whose primary object is to safeguard physical health. (Maternity and child welfare clinics are also known as family health clinics, child health clinics, and infant welfare clinics. The extent to which they can cater to the psychological needs of mother and infant depends on their staff's training.)This paper forms part of a research project entitled Childhood Pathology: Impact on Later Mental Health, which is being conducted at the Hampstead Child-Therapy Course and Clinic, London. The project is financed by National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH-05683-11. Appreciation is expressed to Anna Freud, Elizabeth Model, Professor A. J. Solnit, and Dr. Josefine Stross for their valuable suggestions. The authors acknowledge with gratitude the freedom to quote from the Well-Baby Clinic's annual reports, compiled by the clinic's pediatrician, Dr. Josefine Stross, with the active help of her past assistants, Annemarie Curson, Manna Friedmann, and Joyce Robertson, and her present assistants, Irene Freud and E. Model.This paper was originally published in German, in volume 2 of theJahrbuch der Psychohygiene, Ed. Gerd Biermann, Ernst Reinhardt Verlag, München/Basel, 1974.