Absence of Histological Changes after the Administration of a Continuous Intrathecal Clonidine in Wistar rats

Background:   The administration of epidural and spinal clonidine has demonstrated an antinociceptive effect in animals and humans. For that reason, its spinal administration has been proposed as an adjuvant in chronic pain management. However, there is limited information about its possible neurotoxic effect after its continuous neuraxial administration.
Method:   Twelve male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups. Using an osmotic mini-pump a continuous infusion of intrathecal clonidine, (21.4 micrograms/day, Group A) or saline solution (Group B), was administered for 14 consecutive days. For evaluating the neurological damage a neuropathological analysis of the spinal cord was performed by light microscopy.
Results:   Neurohistopathologic examination of the spinal cord specimens failed to show evidence of neurotoxic damage in either group.
Conclusions:   These findings showed that continuous intrathecal administration of clonidine did not produce evidence of histological neurotoxicity; therefore it is possible that continuous administration of intrathecal clonidine might be a safe option for treatment of chronic intractable pain; however, further investigations are necessary for evaluating diverse doses and periods of time, and to define its possible behavioral effects.     

Objective markers of drug effects on brain function from recordings of scalp potential in healthy volunteers

In order to stress the importance of P300 responses in drug development, we describe the spatiotemporal characteristics of this objective, evoked event-related potential. These brain activations reflect mnemonic function, in which limbic structures play a role. It is demonstrated that a pharmacological challenge concerning, for example, the cholinergic system in young healthy volunteers induces modifications in P300 reminiscent of the aging brain. We use this type of observation to build a model in which it can be verified whether the deterioration can be counteracted by treatment with "cognition-enhancing" drugs. If we accept the extrapolation of the pharmacological effects to symptomatology, scalp potential analysis offers an appropriate tool for the study of drug interactions in early proof-of-concept models.     

用γ线照射日本血吸虫尾蚴接种小白鼠诱导T淋巴细胞和血清IgG变化测定

用酸性α醋酸萘酯酶染色法与ＥＬＩＳＡ对高剂量ｒ线照射的日本血吸虫尾蚴免疫接种小白鼠后诱导产生保护性免疫力进行了研究。以５００条经６Ｋｒａｄ、１２Ｋｒａｄ、２４Ｋｒａｄ及４８Ｋｒａｄ照射的尾蚴接种小白鼠后第１４天Ｔ淋巴细胞与血清ＩｇＧ抗体开始增高，攻击后第２８天达最高水平，以后开始降低，实验组明显高于对照组（Ｐ＜０．０１）。同时比较了１００条、５００条及１０００条经２４Ｋｒａｄ与４８Ｋｒａｄ照射的尾蚴，结果表明免疫接种５００条经２４Ｋｒａｄ照射的日本血吸虫尾蚴免疫小白鼠诱导产生的免疫力较好。     

甘草种子萌发初期的酯酶与蛋白质研究

用电泳和分光光度法对甘草种子萌发初期的酯酶和可溶性蛋白质进行了研究。结果表明，萌发后48h左右，酯酶同工酶和可溶性蛋白质的电泳谱带数量较多，颜色较深，且可溶性蛋白质的含量较高。这说明48h前后是甘草种子萌发的代谢关键时期。     

Altered pattern of differentiation and proliferation of HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells in the presence of leucocyte conditioned medium

We have examined the response of HL-60 cell line to leucocyte conditioned medium (LCM), as a source of colony stimulating activity, in vitro. HL-60 cells exhibited initially increased proliferation, as assessed by tritiated thymidine incorporation and the rate of increase of viable cell counts, in response to added LCM. Cells cultured in the presence of LCM also exhibited partial differentiation with a myelomonocytic morphologic appearance and the acquisition of strong reactivity with alpha napthyl acetate esterase staining. Cells cultured in the presence of both DMSO and LCM underwent initial stages of differentiation more rapidly than with DMSO alone, but the appearance of terminally differentiated myeloid cells was delayed and cells acquired a macrophage-monocytic appearance.     

Self-reported symptoms of neurotoxicity and agricultural injuries among Ohio cash-grain farmers

BACKGROUND: In 1993, the Ohio Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Program (OFFHHSP) was initiated to assess the health status of cash-grain farmers and their families. The objective of this study was to examine the postulated relationship between symptoms of neurotoxicity and risk of agriculture-related injury among Ohio cash-grain farmers. METHODS: A reanalysis of the data from a previously published case-control study of cash-grain farmers [Crawford et al. (1998) Am J Ind Med 34:588-599] was performed. The Principal Operator (PO) of each farm was asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire which included items about injuries experienced during the past year. A section of the questionnaire contained a 24-item instrument ("Q24") that queried symptoms of neurotoxicity experienced during the previous 12 months. Design-based multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate associations between neuropsychological subsets ("domains") of the 24-item instrument and injury risk among the white male POs (who accounted for >99% of all POs). RESULTS: Significantly elevated odds ratios (ORs) were found in 8 of 11 domains. POs answering in the affirmative to the single item "Have you been bothered by lack of coordination or loss of balance?" were 3.12 times more likely to have reported an injury than POs responding negatively (95% CI 1.68-5.81). CONCLUSIONS: Farmers with higher scores on several Q24 domains, and for particular questionnaire items, appear to be at increased risk of agricultural injury.     

Severe chronic diarrhea and weight loss in cholesteryl ester storage disease： A case report

AIM: An inherited deficiency of human lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) results in the rare conditions of Wolman disease and cholesteryl ester storage disease (CESD). We want to present the rare case of CESD in an adult. METHODS: We report about an adult female patient with severe chronic diarrhea and weight loss as a consequence of CESD. Clinical examination revealed signs of malabsorption and slightly elevated liver enzymes. RESULTS: Histopathologic changes in the liver tissue and DNA sequence analysis confirmed the diagnosis of CESD due to homozygosity for the most common CESD mutation, a G934A splice site defect encoded by exon 8 of the lysosomal acid lipase (LIPA) gene. CONCLUSION: It is the first case in the literature with diarrhea as a putative symptom of CESD in adult patients.     

Immunodiagnosis of childhood ALL with monoclonal antibodies to myeloid and lymphoid associated antigens

Sixty-five cryopreserved leukemic samples from children diagnosed and treated as having acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) were retrospectively examined for the presence of lymphoid and myeloid associated antigens by indirect immunofluorescence using monoclonal antibodies. Expectedly, the majority of these specimens expressed antigens known to be expressed on lymphoid, and not myeloid malignancies. These included the common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen (CALLA), the p32 B-cell associated antigen, and T-cell associated antigens. Leukemic cells from the 8 remaining patients expressed antigens known to be present on both myeloid and lymphoid leukemias. These included HLA/DR, and the antigens identified by BA-1 and BA-2. Cells from 2 of these 8 patients reacted with antibodies that define antigens present on normal and malignant myeloid cells. Both specimens reacted with 1G10, an anti-granulocyte antibody, and one reacted with 5F1 which reacts with monocytes, nucleated red blood cells, megakaryocytes and platelets. One of these patients relapsed while receiving ALL therapy, and the morphology of her leukemic cells became characteristic of acute monocytic leukemia (AMoL). The second patient failed ALL therapy but responded to standard acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) therapy, clearing her peripheral blasts. Thus these studies confirm that cell surface phenotyping with monoclonal antibodies can recognize ALL cells that express myeloid rather than lymphoid associated antigens and demonstrate that the malignant cells display a clinical behavior consistent with the diagnosis of ANLL.