Toxic oil syndrome: a current clinical and epidemiologic summary, including comparisons with the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome

In the spring and summer of 1981, an epidemic of a new illness now referred to as the toxic oil syndrome occurred in central and northwestern Spain, resulting in some 20,000 cases, 12,000 hospital admissions and greater than 300 deaths in the 1st year of the epidemic. The initial onset of illness was usually acute, and patients presented primarily with a respiratory syndrome involving cough, fever, dyspnea, hypoxemia, pulmonary infiltrates and pleural effusions. While approximately 50% of patients recovered from this acute phase of the illness without apparent sequelae, the remaining patients developed an intermediate or chronic phase, or both, of illness involving severe myalgia, eosinophilia, peripheral nerve damage, sclerodermiform skin lesions, sicca syndrome, alopecia and joint contractures, among other findings. Epidemiologic and analytic chemical studies have clearly linked the toxic oil syndrome to the ingestion of oil mixtures containing rapeseed oil denatured with aniline. However, the precise identity of the etiologic agent within this oil has never been determined. Aniline itself did not cause the illness, but the causal agent may be a reaction product of aniline with some oil component. Although many aspects of disease activity in the involved patients have lessened with time, the ultimate consequences of their disease are not clear and are the subject of ongoing study. The recently described eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome in the United States clinically resembles the toxic oil syndrome.     

Antioxidant activity and phenolic composition of organic and conventional grapes and wines

The phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity from Monastrell variety grapes obtained by organic and conventional agriculture during the last month of ripening and the wines obtained from them were studied. Samples of grapes were collected from the last month of ripening to full maturity in each plot, and winemaking was carried out on the day of the final collection of grape samples, coinciding with the maturity of the grapes. The antioxidant activity a month before harvesting was higher in the organic grapes (5.7 ± 0.03 mM Trolox/g) than in the conventional ones (4.40 ± 0.05 mM Trolox/g), although these differences disappear in the moment of harvesting. Similarly the total amount of phenolic compounds a month before harvesting was higher in the organic grapes (974.2 ± 54.4 mg/kg) than in the conventional grapes (447.7 ± 27.8 mg/kg), although these differences disappear at the moment of harvesting. In wine, phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity were slightly higher in organic wine than in conventional wine, although the differences were not significant.     

Magnetic resonance imaging of the midbrain in Parkinson's disease

We have analyzed magnetic resonance images of the midbrain in patients with Parkinson's disease, and have found that there is a narrowing of the signal from the pars compacta of the substantia nigra relative to controls. The nature of the histological changes that may be responsible for this effect is discussed. Magnetic resonance imaging has the potential of becoming a useful diagnostic tool in the management of parkinsonism.     

Signals elicited at the intestinal epithelium upon chitosan feeding contribute to immunomodulatory activity and biocompatibility of the polysaccharide

Chitosan is a copolymer of N-acetylglucosamine and glucosamine derived from chitin with several applications in pharmaceutical and medical fields. This polysaccharide exhibits adjuvant properties in mucosal immune responses of humans, rats and mice. Characterization of signals elicited by chitosan at the intestinal epithelium could explain its immunomodulatory activity and biocompatibility. We fed normal rats with single doses of chitosan and 16 h later, we purified intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) to assess immune and biochemical parameters. Following chitosan administration, mRNA expression and release of several cytokines and chemokines increased, injury markers maintained constitutive levels and MHC type II molecule expression was augmented. IEC supernatants showed higher levels of IL-10, IL-6 and TGF-β. Arginase activity of IECs increased upon chitosan interaction in vivo and in vitro. Together, after chitosan feeding, mild activation of IECs occurs in vivo, with production of regulatory factors that could be relevant for its biocompatibility and immunomodulatory effects.     

Norstephalagine and atherospermidine: two smooth muscle relaxant aporphines from Artabotrys maingayi

Nine isoquinoline alkaloids have been isolated from the bark of Artabotrys maingayi: four noraporphines (norstephalagine, 3-hydroxynornuciferine, anonaine, and nornuciferine), one 7-hydroxyaporphine (ushinsunine), three oxoaporphines (atherospermidine, liriodenine, and lysicamine), and one protoberberine (discretamine). The effects of the main alkaloids, norstephalagine and atherospermidine, have been studied on the Ca-dependent contractile activity of smooth muscle (uterus). Both norstephalagine and atherospermidine show relaxing activity on rat uterine contractions induced by KCl or rhythmic contractions induced by oxytocin in the presence of Ca, but only atherospermidine can relax oxytocin- or vanadate-induced contractions in a Ca-free medium.     

Mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic systems and emotional states

We have used the technique of in vivo voltammetry with carbon fibre electrodes to investigate further the involvement of ascending mesencephalic dopaminergic systems in emotional states in freely moving rats. In Sprague-Dawley rats, forced locomotion caused an increase in extracellular DOPAC levels in the striatum and nucleus accumbens but not in the prefrontal cortex. Immobilization (4 min) or systemic injection of the anxiogenic agent methyl-beta-carboline carboxylate enhanced extracellular DOPAC in both prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens but not in striatum whereas tail-pinch provoked a selective increase in this parameter in the nucleus accumbens. These data suggest that mesolimbic and mesocortical dopaminergic systems can be specifically activated by certain kinds of anxiogenic stimuli. To evaluate the relationship between emotional status and the response of mesocortical dopaminergic neurons to stress, we investigated the effects of stressful conditions on dopamine metabolism in the prefrontal cortex of 2 genetically selected lines of rats which differ drastically in their level of emotionality. Introduction of the animals into an unfamiliar environment, application of a high-intensity loud noise or immobilization were associated with an increase in extracellular cortical DOPAC levels in the hypoemotional (RHA) but not in the hyperemotional (RLA) line. These results suggest that the increase in cortical dopamine metabolism induced by stress is not connected to the emotional reaction caused by the aversive nature of the stressor but may reflect activation of cognitive processes in an attempt to cope with the stressor.     

A BASIC program for determination of numerical density of cytoplasmic compartments--I. Analysis of spherical particles

The mean diameter of spherical-like particles is determined by a BASIC program taking into account how the sampled diameters are distributed. In this way the numerical density of the cytoplasmic compartments is obtained. Also calculations considering Holmes' effect are provided.     

Photodistribution of Varicella Exanthem: Report of Two Cases

Two children were seen who had cutaneous lesions of varicella localized to sunburned and suntanned skin. Atypical features were observed in both cases. Based on certain hypotheses, we concluded that sun exposure may modify the clinical picture of varicella.     

Tratamiento radioterápico exclusivo en el carcinoma del pabellón auricular. Análisis de una serie de 104 casos

We assessed the role of the radiation therapy as the exclusive treatment of the epithelial tumours of the pinna, evaluating the control disease, the rate of late complications and the cosmetic results. One hundred and four patients with epidermoid carcinoma of the pinna and radical treatment with radiotherapy were analyzed retrospectively. 53 (51%) were squamous cell carcinoma and 51 (49%) basocelular carcinoma. Classification according to tumours size was as follows: ≤1 cm, 22 (21.2%); 1–2 cm, 47 (45.2%); 2–3 cm, 19 (18.3%), and >3 cm, 11 (10.6%). Eighty eight patients (84.6%) were treated with⁶⁰Co, 15 (14.4%) with ortovoltage and one patient with 9 MeV electron. The median follow up is 55 month (14–257). The local control, complication like condritis, condronecrosis and audition damage, and the cosmetic result were the factors analyzed. The 5 and 10 years actuarial local control rate is 89.8% and 87.6%, respectively. In an univariate analysis including variables like size, localization, histologic type, differentiation grade, energy type, irradiation technique, doses and response to treatment, the bad prognostic factors regarding to local control, were found to be the size (>3 cm) (p=0.013), localization (posterior sulcus) (p=0.012) and response to treatment (not complete) (p=0.046). In a multivariate analysis only the size showed this tendency (p=0.05). After the intent of rescue in the 11 patients that failed locally, the final local control rate was 95.19% (99/104). Four patients with squamous cell carcinoma had nodal regional recurrence, which didn't occur in the patients with basocelular carcinoma. Eight (7.7%) patients presented some degree of condritis, which was resolved medically in all the cases except one patient that evolved to condronecrosis. The cosmetic results in the 76 patients evaluated was excellent in 53 (69.7%) and acceptable in 12 (22.6%). Radiotherapy is recommended for treatment of the epithelial tumour of the pinna, mainly in tumors less than 3 cm, getting local control rate similar to surgery but avoiding its cosmetic and functional sequelae.     

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: The Effect of Oxidative Environment on Immunosuppressive Properties of Human Seminal Plasma

Problem Human seminal plasma (SP) has an important immunosuppressive function that enables sperm survival in the female reproductive tract. The aim of this study was to evaluate how oxidized proteins, by oxidative stress, may influence seminal plasma immunosuppressive properties in male infertility. Method of study Human SP immunosuppressive ability was evaluated by a lymphocyte proliferation assay. We used phytohemagglutinin mitogen to induce lymphocyte proliferation in the presence of human SP from infertile and fertile men, and under in vitro oxidizing conditions. Human SP‐oxidized proteins (MDA‐protein) were determined by the thiobarbituric acid test. Results Significant high levels of oxidized proteins were found in SP from asthenozoospermic patients. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between lymphocyte proliferation in the presence of SP from normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic group compared to the fertile donor group. Oxidized human SP in vitro allows for higher lymphocyte proliferation than non‐oxidized SP. Conclusion Human SP proteins have an inhibitory ability on lymphocyte proliferation, but under oxidative stress conditions, these proteins lose their immunosuppressive function.