Careprovider and Obstetrical Interventions

The purpose of this study was to compare the treatment recommendations of obstetricians and midwives in four European countries: the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, and Slovenia. Intervention orientation was examined with six hypothetical patient cases. We wanted to learn whether midwives differ from obstetricians in their choices, and whether there is any variation among countries regarding the willingness of staff to intervene. In Finland the two professions were quite similar in their recommendations for interventions, but in Hungary and Slovenia, midwives and obstetricians differed from each other. There were also differences between the countries in the treatment recommendations, and there was disparity between opinions and actual obstetrical practices. Slovenian obstetrical staff were the most interventionistic in many cases, compared with others, although the actual frequency of interventions was no greater than in other countries. In Finland the staff were the most passive in their opinions, yet the actual proportion of interventions was greatest.     

Cholinergic structures and neuropathologic alterations in the olfactory bulb of Alzheimer''s disease brain samples

This report describes the laminar distribution of acetylcholinesterase-positive structures and the neuropathologic alterations in the human olfactory bulb of control and Alzheimer's disease brain samples. The results suggests that no correlation exists between the distribution of cholinergic axons and the neuropathological alterations in the different layers in Alzheimer's disease.     

Inhibition of [3H]resiniferatoxin binding to rat dorsal root ganglion membranes as a novel approach in evaluating compounds with capsaicin-like activity

Summary We have recently reported the specific binding of [³H]resiniferatoxin to sensory ganglion membranes; this binding appears to represent the postulated vanilloid (capsaicin) receptor. In the present report, we compare the structure/activity relations for binding to rat dorsal root ganglion membranes and for biological responses in the rat, using a series of vanilloids of the capsaicin (homovanilloyl-decylamide, homovanilloyl-dodecylamide, homovanilloyl-cyclododecylamide, homovanilloyl-hexadecylamide, homovanilloyl-piperidine and nonenoyl-homoveratrylamide) and resiniferatoxin (tinyatoxin, 12-deoxyphorbol 13-phenylacetate 20-homovanillate) classes. We find that all the tested biologically active vanilloids, but not the inactive structure analogs, compete for the [³H]resiniferatoxin binding sites in rat dorsal root ganglion membranes, and we conclude that the [³H]resiniferatoxin binding assay may provide an efficient approach for evaluating such compounds. We also provide evidence that the [3H]resiniferatoxin receptor is likely to recognize vanilloids which are inserted into the membranes; and that the apparent activity of capsaicinoids may be significantly influenced by factors other than equilibrium binding affinities. Send offprint requests to P. M. Blumberg at the above address     

The Loss of Pacing-induced Preconditioning in Atherosclerotic Rabbits: Role of Hypercholesterolaemia

A brief rapid pacing has been shown to protect rabbit heart against global myocardial ischaemia induced by subsequent longer pacing. We studied whether pacing-induced preconditioning was reproducible in experimental hypercholesterolaemia. In conscious rabbits with an implanted right ventricular electrode and left ventricular polyethylene catheters, pacing of 500 bpm over 20 min induced an intracavitary ST-segment elevation of 3.2±0.41 mV, shortened ventricular effective refractory period and increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure from prepacing 105±3.9 ms and 4.0±0.93 mmHg to post-pacing 62±6.4 ms and 27.9±7.2 mmHg, respectively. A 10-min preconditioning pacing followed by a 5-min interval markedly attenuated these test pacing-induced ischaemic changes. Rabbits were fed a cholesterol-enriched diet over 4, 8 and 12 weeks, responded to a 5- or 10-min pacing with ischaemic changes of the same degree as did controls to a 10- or 20-min pacing, respectively. A 4-week diet elevated total serum cholesterol from 1.7±0.4 to 24.1±2.9 mmol/l without apparent atherosclerotic lesions in the thoracic aorta assessed by Oil-Red O staining and planimetry, but it abolished protection induced by a 5-min preconditioning pacing. A 12-week diet increased serum cholesterol and lesion surface area to 26.9±3.2 mmol/l and 89.6±6.4%, respectively, and continued to block preconditioning. When these animals were refed normal chow over additional 6 weeks, serum cholesterol level dropped to 2.6±0.80 mmol/l with no change in atherosclerotic lesions, the preconditioning effect, however, recovered. We conclude that hypercholesterolaemia blocks preconditioning irrespective of the development of atherosclerosis.     

Oncogene Amplification in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity

We have determined the prevalence of amplification of c- myc , N- myc , L- myc , H- ras , Ki- ras , and N- ras oncogenes in 23 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, using Southern hybridization analysis of DNA extracted from the primary tumor tissues. Nick-translated oncogene probes and oncogene inserts labeled to high specific activities were used. We observed a 5- to 10-fold amplification of one or more of c- myc , N- myc , Ki- ras and N- ras oncogenes in 56% of the tumor tissue samples, with these oncogenes not being amplified in the peripheral blood cells of the same patients, L- myc and H- ras were not amplified in any of our samples. The oncogene amplifications seemed to be associated with advanced stages of squamous cell carcinomas, with the ras and myc family oncogenes being amplified in stages 3 and 4. Hybridization with N- myc detected an additional 2.3 kb Eco RI fragment, along with the normal 2.1 kb fragment. Our data also demonstrated amplification of multiple oncogenes in the same tumor tissue sample. About 60% of the samples with amplified oncogenes showed simultaneous amplification of 2 or more oncogenes. The results showing different oncogene amplifications in similar tumors, as well as multiple oncogene amplifications in the same tumor, suggest that these oncogenes may be alternatively or simultaneously activated in oral carcinogenesis.     

Recent trend in preference of contraceptive methods — Pills down,diaphragm on rise: A retrospective evaluation

The retrospective examination of records in the San Francisco General Hospital Family Planning Clinic during the period from 1970 to 1976 showed a sharp drop of pill users in the last year and a corresponding increase in diaphragm use. The extent of this change in preference by initial users of different contraceptive methods was studied on a monthly basis from March, 1975, through March, 1976. The results showed a significant increase of diaphragm usage by one percent per month, and a significant decrease of pill usage by one percent per month. The reason for the new trend seems to be due to more participation on the part of the client in the decision-making process and this may be influenced — rightly or wrongly — by the media.     

Deoxy-adenosine-monophosphate (dAMP) di-n-butylester induces apoptosis by increasing the dATP level in HL-60 cells

Deoxy-ATP is a potent inducer of apoptosis. We intended to synthesize a lipophilic dAMP derivative which, according to our working hypothesis penetrates into the cell, is converted to dAMP by intracellular esterases and to dATP by nucleotide kinases. We synthesized dAMP-di-n-butylester (DAB) and tested it. We found that it fulfills the above-described expectations. DAB treatment decreases the viability of HL-60 cells, increases the dATP concentration and induces apoptogenic cytochrome c release from mitochondria with concomitant elevation of caspase-9 activity. Our results indicate that use of dAMP derivatives with masked phosphate may be a feasible approach for pharmacological elevation of intracellular dATP and induction of apoptosis.