Pancreatoblastoma with marked elevation of serum alpha-fetoprotein

Summary The autopsy findings in a pancreatoblastoma in a 7-year-old Japanese girl is reported. The tumour was in the head and body of the pancreas, and was associated with diffuse carcinomatous peritonitis and hepatic and pulmonary metastases. There was marked elevation (more than 10000 ng/ml) of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Histopathologically the tumour was composed of solid epithelial elements with fibrous stroma, showing acinar arrangement, squamoid clusters and tubular structures. The epithelial elements contained numerous fine PAS positive granules in the cytoplasm. Immunocytochemical results suggested epithelial differentiation with positivity to alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), keratin, CA19-9, and AFP. No endocrine elements were recognized. Characteristic feature of this tumour are discussed and compared with prevoius reports.     

Physiological Correlates of Mental Activity: Eye Movements, Alpha, and Heart Rate During Imagining, Suppression, Concentration, Search, and Choice

Rapid eye movements (REMs), EEG alpha, and tonic heart rate (HR) were measured during 6 types of cognitive tasks—imagining a liked person, suppressing thoughts of the person, searching one's mind for alternative solutions, arithmetic involving little concentration, problems involving high concentration, and choosing a preferred activity. The latter 3 required verbalization, the former 3 did not. Only suppression and search did not differ significantly from each other on at least one physiological variable. Imagining, suppression, and search yielded few REMs, high alpha, and low HR. High concentration yielded many REMs, low alpha, and high HR. Choice yielded many REMs, low alpha, and intermediate HR. Low concentration yielded few REMs, low alpha, and high HR. Suppression produced somewhat less alpha than imagining but did not differ significantly in REMs.     

Supra-maximal cycling efficiency assessed in humans by using a new protocol

This study proposed a non-invasive method to determine the gross (GE, no baseline correction), net (NE, resting metabolism as the baseline correction) and work (WE, unloaded cycling as the baseline correction) efficiencies during cycling at an intensity higher than the maximal aerobic power (MAP). Twelve male subjects performed two exercises consisting of 4 min at 50% MAP followed either by 8 min at 63% MAP or by 8 sequences of 60 s divided into 10 s at 130% MAP and 50 s at 50% MAP (i.e., 63% MAP on average). Oxygen uptake was continuously measured to calculate GE, NE and WE at 50%, 63% and 130% MAP, and the data presented as the means and standard deviations. The GE values were 18.2%, 19.1%, 22.7%, the NE values were 22.4%, 22.8%, 24.3% and the WE values were 34.2%, 31.4% and 27.2% at 50%, 63% and 130% MAP, respectively. The GE and NE increased (P<0.001) whereas the WE decreased (P<0.001) with each increment in power output. The GE was lower than the NE (P<0.001) at 50% and 63% MAP and than the WE (P<0.001) at all intensities. The NE was lower (P<0.001) than the WE at 50% and 63% MAP. These results showed that (1) efficiency index values obtained during supra-maximal exercise were consistent with previous proposals and (2) the efficiency-power output relationships were not limited to sub-maximal intensity levels but were confirmed at higher power output.     

The role of the splanchnic circulation in the regulation of total intravascular volume during alpha adrenergic receptor stimulation

Previous studies have not defined the contribution of the splanchnic circulation to the total intravascular volume change associated with selective alpha adrenergic receptor stimulation. Since the splanchnic circulation is responsible for the total volume changes associated with other types of selective autonomic receptor stimulation, the present study was undertaken to examine the influence of alpha adrenergic receptor stimulation on splanchnic intravascular volume, the hemodynamic mechanism responsible for the splanchnic volume change, and the contribution of the splanchnic volume change to the change in total volume. In 35 anesthetized dogs, blood from the vena cavae was drained into an extracorporeal reservoir and returned to the right atrium at a constant rate so that changes in total intravascular volume could be measured as reciprocal changes in reservoir volume. Phenylephrine infusion (100 g/min) for 20 min in 28 dogs was associated with a decrease in total volume of 64±17 (SEM) ml (P<0.0001). The response was abolished by either alpha adrenergic blockade or evisceration but was not attenuated by beta adrenergic blockade, sinoaortic baroreceptor denervation, ganglionic blockade, or splenectomy. In 5 animals with separate splanchnic perfusion and drainage, total and splanchnic volumes decreased 59±8 ml (P<0.0001) and 317±20 ml (P<0.0001), respectively, while transhepatic vascular resistance increased 17±4 cm H₂O·min/l (P<0.0001). These responses were abolished after alpha adrenergic blockade. Thus, splanchnic volume decreases with alpha adrenergic receptor stimulation, despite an increase in hepatic resistance to splanchnic, venous outflow. The splanchnic volume decrement is entirely responsible for the total volume decrement.The study was supported by NHLBI Grant 1 R23-HL27185, Grant 11-203-812 from the American Heart Association of Greater Hartford, Inc., and the Duberg Cardiovascular Research Fund. Dr. Rutlen was the Duberg Scholar in Cardiovascular Disease when the study was performed.This work was presented in part at the 1982 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association (Circ. 66:II-311)     

Evaluation of quantitative aerosol techniques for use in bronchoprovocation studies

To investigate airway physiology by use of inhaled aerosols, it is frequently necessary to measure the actual amount of material deposited on the airway wall as well as the site of particle deposition. To satisfy these needs, radiolabeled aerosols and gamma camera techniques have been used to measure regional deposition of inhaled particles. To make quantitative measurements of the amount deposited, previous investigators have used a "phantom" technique to indirectly calibrate the gamma camera for the attenuation of gamma rays through the lungs and chest wall. For this calibration, the phantom is a simulated lung containing a known amount of radioactivity. Radioactive counts emitted from the phantom are assumed to be attenuated in the same manner as the intact human lung. The present article describes a technique to determine directly the amount of inhaled aerosol deposited in the lung and simultaneously to calibrate the gamma camera for each individual subject. We used right angle light scattering and a gamma camera to measure individual values of the deposition fraction (DF) of inhaled aerosol deposited in the lung and the coefficient of attenuation (AC) of gamma rays in normal and obstructed lungs of human subjects. Radiolabeled monodisperse aerosols 1 and 2 microns in diameter were used. Knowledge of the activity of the inhaled aerosol (microcurie per liter), the volume inhaled, and the measured DF determined each subject's AC (counts per minute per microcurie). DF varied by an order of magnitude in normal (0.04 to 0.48) and obstructed (0.16 to 0.75) of subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Interaction of the pesticide chlordimeform with adrenergic receptors in mouse brain: an in vitro study

Chlordimeform (N'(4-chloro-o-tolyl)-N, N-dimethylformamidine; CDM) is a formamidine insecticide/acaricide whose major active metabolite is its N-monomethyl analog, desmethylchlordimeform, (DCDM). While their pesticidal action in invertebrates appears to be related to activation of octopamine receptors, their mechanism of action in mammals has not been established. Because of similarities between octopamine and adrenergic receptors and suggestions of CDM and DCDM action on adrenoceptors, the in vitro interactions of CDM and DCDM with adrenoceptors were studied. In mouse brain membrane preparations CDM inhibited the binding of [³H]-clonidine to alpha₂- adrenoceptors and of [³H]-WB4101 to alpha₁-adrenoceptors with IC₅₀ values of 18.2 and 87 M, respectively. DCDM was a much more potent inhibitor, with IC₅₀ values toward alpha_2–, and alpha₁-adrenoceptors of 44 nM and 1 M, respectively. Both compounds were only weak inhibitors of the binding of [³H]-dihydroalprenolol to beta-adrenoceptors and of [³H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate to muscarinic receptors and were inactive toward benzodiazepines and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA_A) receptors. Inhibition of [³H]-clonidine binding by both compounds was competitive, as indicated by a decreased receptor affinity without changes in receptor density. Interaction of CDM and DCDM with [³H]-WB4101 binding, on the other hand, was more complex, and not of the competitive type. These results show that CDM and its metabolite DCDM can interact directly in vitro with alpha-adrenergic receptors, suggesting that these receptors could mediate some of the effects of CDM and DCDM in vivo.     

孕妇血清标记物在中孕筛查中的应用

目的 :通过对孕妇血清标记物甲胎蛋白 (AFP)和人绒毛膜促性腺激素 ( β -HCG )测定来筛选缺陷儿。 方法 :用放射免疫法对 6 2例孕 14～ 2 3周妊娠妇女上述标记物连测 3次 ,每次隔 12～ 14d ,以两次异常为高危个体。每例筛查者跟踪至胎儿出生后。结果 :在筛查中发现了 1例先天愚型和 1例无脑儿。结论 :上述两种血清标记物可以作为神经管缺陷和先天愚型筛查的一项常规方法     

冠脉循环中血小板活化状态对冠心病致病作用的研究

目的：探讨冠脉循环中血小板活化状态在冠心病（ＣＨＤ）发病学中的意义。方法：用放免等方法对受试冠状静脉窦（ＣＳ）及升主动脉（ＡＯ）血行血小板膜表面α－颗粒膜蛋白（α－ＧＭＰ－１４０）和循环内皮细胞（ＣＥＣ）等测定。结果：ＣＨＤ患冠脉循环中α－ＧＭＰ－１４０含量和ＣＥＣ浓度均明显升高（Ｐ〈０．０１）,以急心肌梗塞（ＡＭＩ）组为明显,冠脉狭窄愈严重,二升高愈明显,病灶多发比单发升高明显。结论：ＣＨＤ患冠脉循环中血小板高度激活,在ＣＨＤ的发生发展中有一定的意义。     

An examination of factors influencing adrenergic transmission in the pithed rat,with special reference to noradrenaline uptake mechanisms and post-junctional α-adrenoceptors

Summary Adrenergic mechanisms were analysed in the pithed rat to determine to what extent the actions of drugs observed in vitro are relevant in situ.The drugs examined were those which are known to block the neuronal or extraneuronal uptake of noradrenaline (cocaine, desipramine and corticosterone) or to be antagonists at post and/or pre-junctional -adrenoceptors (prazosin and yohimbine) together with the antidepressant, mianserin, which has been implicated in several of these actions. These drugs were tested against the arterial diastolic pressor, cardiac chronotropic and vas deferens responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation, to indirect sympathomimetics or to direct sympathomimetics, which were chosen according to whether they were substrates for noradrenaline uptake processes or selective between adrenoceptors.Pressor and cardiac responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation or to intravenous noradrenaline were potentiated by blockade of neuronal uptake but only the pressor effect of noradrenaline was potentiated by blockade of extraneuronal uptake. The effects of the antagonists suggested that the pressor effects of noradrenaline and of sympathetic nerve stimulation result from a combination of activation of ₁- and ₂-adrenoceptors, but that the effect of noradrenaline had a relatively greater contribution from the ₂-adrenoceptors. Mianserin was found to potentiate adrenergic responses at low doses, to produce limited antagonism at post-junctional ₁-adrenoceptors in high doses but to have no detectable effect at postjunctional ₂-adrenoceptors.     

Detection of α S1-casein in vomit from bottle-fed babies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Summary This study describes a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using rabbit anti-bovine S1-casein antibody for the detection of commercial milk and milk-containing vomit. The antibody does not react with other human body fluids such as breast milk. The stability of S1-casein antigenic activity was examined after storage at different temperatures and enzyme digestion. There was no decrease after storage for one year at room temperature but 40% of the activity was lost after 6 months at 37°C. Enzyme digestion (6 hours, 37°C) resulted in 65 70% loss of activity but the antibody reacted with the peptide fragments of S1-casein. Vomit samples from 3 normal infants were tested by ELISA, and a S 1-casein could be detected in 1 cm² stain.