MORPHOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES IN HEARTS OF RATS WELL ADAPTED AND POORLY ADAPTED TO CHRONIC HYPOXIA

We carried out an experiment to analyze morphological differences in hearts of rats well adapted and poorly adapted to chronic hypoxia. Male and female Wistar rats, 1 week, 4 weeks and 9 weeks old, were employed on the assumption that adaptive ability was dependent on age and sex. These rats were raised at an altitude of 2,400 m and were kept for 7 to 9 weeks. Control groups were maintained at an altitude of 600 m during the same period of time. Each group consisted of 4 to 6 rats. At the end of the experiment, body weight, heart weight, ratio of heart weight to body weight and hematocrit were measured, and ventricular wall thickness, myocardial fiber diameter, capillary supply and mitochondria were morphometrically studied. Of the 6 experimental groups, the 4-week-old male rats (M2) had the highest body weight, as compared with the other experimental groups. In addition, relative to these other experimental groups, the following features were found for M2. Heart weight was intermediate, heart weight/body weight ratio was low and hematocrit was also low. Ventricular wall thickness was intermediate in the right ventricle (RV) and interventricular septum (IVS) but was thin in the left ventricle (LV). Myocardial fiber diameter was intermediate in the RV, large in the IVS and small in the LV. Capillary supply was intermediate in the RV and dense in the IVS and LV. Mitochondria were small but cristal density and percentage area, estimated from electron micrographs, were found to be high. These data showed that in well developed rats under chronic hypoxia, there is good development of capillary supply with corresponding restriction of cardiac hypertrophy, while hematocrit count and mitochondria are also affected.     

Polymerized tree pollen antigens

Aqueous extracts of tree pollen were partially purified and polymerized with methods previously established for preparation of ragweed and grass polymers. The polymerized tree preparations were antigenic as demonstrated by ability to elicit immediate-type skin reactivity in humans and to induce an immune response in rabbits. The polymerized tree antigen was 100- to 10,000-fold less skin reactive than monomer tree antigen in tree pollen-sensitive patients but both preparations had similar antigenicity in rabbits. These results demonstrate that polymerized tree antigens can be prepared and should have the therapeutic potential already demonstrated for polymerized ragweed preparations.     

Derivation and characterization of a monoclonal hybridoma antibody specific for human alpha-fetoprotein

A monoclonal antibody specific for human alpha-fetoprotein (HAFP) was derived by the hybridoma technique. Spleen cells from mice immunized with pure HAFP were fused with a mouse myeloma cell line (P3×63-Ag-8) and an anti-HAFP secreting hybridoma cell line was cloned in soft agarose. The HAFP specific antibody was shown to be a monoclonal IgG₁ subclass with extremely high avidity for HAFP.     

Serum IgG, IgA, IgM, and IgE levels and allergy in Filipino children in the United States

The serum levels of IgE, IgG, IgA, and IgM of 27 American-born Filipino children 5 to 17 years of age were measured and found to be significantly higher than those of a control group of 24 Caucasian children of similar age distribution and attending the same general pediatric clinics. The geometric mean of serum IgE of the Filipinos was 227 U. per milliliter and of the Caucasians, 69 U. per milliliter (p < 0.01). The geometric means of other serum immunoglobulin levels of the Filipinos by comparison with the Caucasians were: IgG, 1,303 and 1,010 mg. per 100 ml. (p < 0.01); IgA, 195 and 120 mg. per 100 ml. (p < 0.001); and IgM, 141 and 92 mg. per 100 ml. (p < 0.02), respectively. The incidence of atopic disease was higher in the Filipino study group (48 per cent) than in the Caucasian control group (25 per cent); eczema was especially prevalent in the Filipino group. Elevated serum IgE levels were associated with atopic disease in both racial groups; however, there was no correlation between serum level of IgG, IgA, or IgM and atopy.     

An open,randomized single-centre study to compare the efficacy and convenience of follitropin beta administered by a pen device with follitropin alpha administered by a conventional syringe in women undergoing ovarian stimulation for IVF/ICSI

BACKGROUND: A pen device, similar to an insulin pen, has been recently marketed for the administration of follitropin beta in cartridges. A randomized controlled trial was performed to compare the efficacy and convenience of this pen device delivering follitropin beta with a conventional syringe delivering follitropin alpha. METHODS: A total of 200 patients needing IVF/ICSI treatment and willing to self-inject were enrolled in the study. All subjects had ovarian stimulation according to a long protocol and were randomized to the pen or the conventional syringe group during down-regulation by means of a computer-generated randomization list using random numbers. Patients were asked to fill in a daily local tolerance book after each injection. On the day of hCG the patients scored a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain and convenience. RESULTS: The average duration, total dose of recombinant FSH and number of cumulus oocyte complexes retrieved were 10.8/12.0 days (P = 0.001), 1880/2226 IU (P < 0.001) and 15.2/13.1 respectively in the pen device and conventional syringe groups; the presence of pain after the daily injection was significantly higher in the conventional syringe group (P = 0.027); the visual analogue scale score was similar for pain but significantly more convenient for the pen device (P < 0.001). The live birth rate per embryo transfer was 32.9 and 34.4% respectively in the pen device and conventional syringe groups. CONCLUSIONS: Self-injection with the pen device is safe and easy, more convenient and less painful for the patient, requires less FSH and shortens the treatment duration.     

Inhaled lodoxamide tromethamine in the treatment of perennial asthma: a double-blind placebo-controlled study

The efficacy of lodoxamide tromethamine in the treatment of asthma was studied in a 16-week double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 68 perennial allergic subjects with asthma. Patients received either lodoxamide tromethamine, 0.25 mg four times daily, or placebo, administered by metered-dose inhaler. Response to treatment was assessed by analyzing changes in asthma symptoms, inhaled bronchodilator requirements, and pulmonary function when compared to a 2-week baseline period. Patients treated with lodoxamide tromethamine demonstrated an improvement in daytime breathing difficulty, cough, sputum production, and sleep (p less than 0.01 to 0.05), but improvement was not significantly different from that demonstrated by placebo-treated patients. Patients from both treatment groups were able to reduce their inhaled bronchodilators (p less than 0.01), but again no significant difference was apparent between lodoxamide tromethamine and placebo treatment, nor were there any differences in peak expiratory flow rate or FEV1 between the two groups. Seven patients who received lodoxamide tromethamine withdrew because of a sensation of heat and gastrointestinal symptoms. Thus, although lodoxamide tromethamine possesses potent mast cell-stabilizing activity in vitro, we have failed to demonstrate any useful long-term effect in the treatment of mild allergic asthma.     

A patient with testis seminoma, sarcoidosis, and neutropenic enterocolitis

Seminoma and sarcoidosis do not seem to be associated diseases, judging from epidemiologic data. The presence of these two diseases in the patient whose case is reported may have been coincidental. It was observed, however, that when the testis tumor appeared in this patient, the longstanding sarcoid lesions significantly increased. The patient developed neutropenic enterocolitis after chemotherapy for a non-hematologic malignancy.     

Characterization of mouse allergens

The major allergens present in mouse skin, serum, and urine have been identified. Skin extracts, serum, and urine were chromatographed, and the activities of the fractions were monitored by histamine release from the leukocytes of individuals sensitive to mice. Fractionation of skin extracts revealed two major allergens. The large allergen has a molecular weight of approximately 67,000 daltons and by biochemical and immunochemical criteria appears to be identical to mouse albumin. The smaller molecular weight allergen is approximately 17,000 daltons. The same two allergens are also found in mouse serum and mouse urine. Histamine release by leukocytes of individuals allergic to mice demonstrated that some individuals react predominantly to the large allergen, some to the small allergen, and one group of patients reacts to both allergens.     

The familial prevalence in second-degree relatives of patients with anxiety neurosis (panic disorder)

A family history study of second-degree relatives of 19 patients with anxiety neurosis (panic disorder) and 19 controls showed a morbidity risk of 9.5% among the former compared with 1.4% among the latter. These risks were approximately half those found among first-degree relatives. Female relatives were at higher risk for anxiety neurosis. The risk for other psychiatric illnesses did not differ between the relatives of anxiety neurosis and controls.     

ADRENOCORTICAL CARCINOMA IN INFANCY

A case of adrenocortical carcinoma associated with congenital heart defect in a 6-month-old Japanese girl is reported. A fist-sized tumor was incidentally noted in the right hypochondrium upon admission for cardiac surgery. No clinical endocrinopathy was evident in this case. The resected tumor was encapsulated with smooth surface and no invasion to adjacent tissues or organs was observed. Histologically, the tumor was composed of small cells with granular or clear cytoplasm, and occasional giant cells with single or multiple nuclei. By electron microscopy, the tumor cells showed various nuclear contours with distinct nucleoli and had a moderate amount of cytoplasm containing abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria with variable-sized electron-dense granules. Intercellular desmosome-llke junctions were observed in some tumor cells. Immunohistochemlcally, the tumor cells contained granules positive for estriol, progesterone and Cortisol. These morphological findings including electron microscopic features suggested that the tumor cells had a malignant character.