5-HT(2) receptor-mediated phosphoinositide hydrolysis in bovine ciliary epithelium.

The serotonin 2 (5-HT(2)) receptor antagonists, MCI-9042 (Anplag) and ketanserin, have been shown to lower intraocular pressure in rabbits (1) and humans (2). The mechanism of action of these drugs has not been determined, but it is hypothesized that 5-HT(2) receptors, and possibly alpha-adrenergic receptors, (3) may regulate in part aqueous humor production via an intracellular signal transduction pathway in the ciliary body. We therefore examined whether 5-HT(2) receptors were coupled to phosphoinositide hydrolysis in an organ culture system of isolated bovine ciliary epithelium. 5-HT stimulated [(3)H]inositol phosphates ([(3)H]InsPs) accumulation in a dose-dependent manner with a maximum increase approximately twice over the basal level. The mean EC(50) value was 1.1 microM, which was calculated from four dose-response curves. The 5-HT stimulated accumulation of [(3)H]InsPs was inhibited by spiperone (5-HT(2A/1A) and dopamine 2 (D(2)) antagonists), M-1 (a major metabolite of MCI-9042), ketanserin (5-HT(2A) antagonist), SB-206553 (5- HT(2B/2C) antagonist), and mesulergine (5-HT(2C) antagonist and D(2) agonist). It was not inhibited by chlorpromazine, which is a D(2) receptor antagonist. Accordingly, our study demonstrates that 5-HT(2) receptors are coupled to phospholipase C in bovine ciliary epithelium.     

Awake one stage bilateral thoracoscopic sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis: a safe outpatient procedure.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the feasibility and compare the results of thoracoscopic sympathectomy under local anaesthesia (LA) and spontaneous breathing vs. general anaesthesia (GA) with one-lung ventilation. METHODS: Two groups of consecutive patients underwent one stage bilateral T2-T3 thoracoscopic sympathectomy under LA (n=15) and GA (n=30) by the same surgical team for treatment of primary palmar hyperhidrosis. The groups were homogeneous for relevant demographic, physiological and clinical data, including pulmonary function. In both groups, patient's satisfaction was evaluated 24h after surgery by a simple interview and scored into five grades (1=very poor to 5=excellent), while quality of life (QOL) was evaluated by SF-36 and Nottingham's Health Profile questionnaires before and 6 months after surgery. A cost comparison between groups concerning devices, drugs, global in operating room time, medical personnel and hospital stay was also carried out. RESULTS: No operative mortality was recorded. The overall in operating room time for the whole bilateral procedure under LA was 63.55+/-10.58 vs. 86.05+/-5.75 under GA (P<0.01) and temperature increased in all patients from a baseline of 25.42+/-0.56 up to 32.15+/-0.84 degrees C. All patients undergone LA were discharged the same day after a chest roentgenogram and a short stay in the outpatient clinic. Among them three patients (20%) experienced a minimal (<30%) pneumothorax that required no treatment, while five (33.3%) had a trunk compensatory sweating that spontaneously resolved on the long run. Patients undergoing GA were discharged after a mean stay of 1.38+/-0.6 days. Among these, eight (26.6%) had prolonged trunk compensatory sweating that did not persist longer than 3 months. At a follow-up of 7.16+/-2.97 months, QOL was significantly improved with no difference between groups. The overall rate of satisfaction was greater in the LA group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, awake one stage bilateral thoracoscopic sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis could be safely and effectively performed as an outpatient procedure in patients refusing GA. Postoperative quality of life was equal to that in patients undergone the same procedure under GA, while patient satisfaction was better and cost were significantly reduced.     

Uptake of dehydroascorbic acid in high-GSH and normal-GSH dog erythrocytes

Uptake of dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) was studied in two types of dog erythrocytes with high GSH and normal GSH levels. Compared with ascorbic acid uptake, DHA produced a much greater ascorbic acid accumulation in dog erythrocytes. Both dog erythrocytes showed a concentration dependence of DHA uptake, and cellular ascorbic acid concentrations were significantly higher in high-GSH cells than in normal-GSH cells. Glucose and cytochalasin B inhibited DHA uptake. This suggests that DHA enters dog erythrocytes predominantly by the facilitated glucose transporter, particularly by the Glut 1 glucose transporter. The rate of glucose uptake was quite similar in the two types of cells. Compared with normal-GSH cells, high-GSH cells were more resistant to oxidative stress induced by high concentration of DHA. As a rapid entry of DHA inflicts on cells a heavy demand for GSH for its reduction to ascorbic acid, high-GSH cells containing a larger reserve of GSH have an advantage over normal-GSH cells in both ascorbic acid accumulation and resisting oxidative stress produced by DHA.     

Kanji-predominant alexia with agraphia in opticospinal multiple sclerosis]

Alexia with agraphia is very rare symptom in multiple sclerosis. We present a patient of opticospinal multiple sclerosis with kanji-predominant alexia with agraphia. A 55-year-old, right-handed man was admitted to our hospital because of difficulty in reading and writing in August 2001. The patient had been diagnosed as having relapsing-remitting opticospinal multiple sclerosis eight years prior to admission. Language examination showed alexia with agraphia predominantly affecting kanji and also mild naming difficulties, but a good comprehension and a normal repetition. T2-weighted MRI demonstrated hyperintensity area in the left temporo-parietal lobe, involving the white matter beneath the postero-inferior temporal lobe and inferior parietal lobule. On brain SPECT, low blood perfusion was observed in the left temporo-parietal regions. Although agraphia for kana and alexia for both kana and kanji improved after steroid therapy, agraphia for kanji did not improve. After the treatment, high intensity area of inferior parietal lobule was disappeared on MRI, and the hypoperfusion of inferior parietal lobule on brain SPECT was also improved, but the lesion of left postero-inferior temporal lobe did not show any remarkable changes. We considered that the kanji-predominant alexia with agraphia was due to the lesions of left inferior parietal lobule and postero-inferior temporal lobe, and agraphia for kanji was due to the lesion of left postero-inferior temporal lobe.     

Fibrillation potentials do not originate in type 1 muscle fibers?

Electrophysiological and muscle histochemical studies of denervated muscle were performed simultaneously in order to determine the relationship between fibrillation potentials and muscle fiber type. Fibrillation potentials recorded in the soleus muscle 2 weeks after resection of the sciatic nerve revealed a lower firing rate than in the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle of the same rats. The majority of muscle fibers stained for adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity after preincubation at pH 9.4, 4.6, and 4.3 in the soleus muscle were type 1 fibers, while most of those in the EDL were of type 2. Moreover, one of the rats, which demonstrated no fibrillation potentials in the soleus muscle, was found to have no type 2A or 2B fibers histochemically, in the same soleus muscle. These findings suggest that fibrillation potentials may not originate in type 1 fibers.     

Clinical usefulness of the frontal assessment battery (FAB) for elderly in memory clinic]

To investigate the usefulness of the frontal assessment battery (FAB) as a brief assessment for diagnosis in patients with dementia, we examined cognitive function using the FAB, Mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Kana-hiroi test, and Raven's colored progressive matrices (RCPM). Subjects were 82 senile patients having amnesia as a complaint including 28 Alzheimer's disease (AD), 14 frontotemporal dementia (FTD), 17 vascular dementia (VD), 13 mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 10 healthy persons. We discussed the difference of scores in different types of dementia. In the FAB, the scores of healthy persons and MCI were much higher compared with the scores of all types of dementia. There were high correlation between FAB and MMSE, Kana-hiroi test, and RCPM. Although some subjects showed normal score in MMSE and/or RCPM, they showed low score in FAB. Based on this, FAB is efficient for the differential diagnosis of dementia as brief screening tool.     

Effects of N-acetyl-L-cysteine on Teratogenicity of Cadmium in Mice

ABSTRACT Embryotoxicity and teratogenicity of cadmium (Cd) and modulation of its effects by N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) were evaluated in mice. Pregnant ICR mice were intraperitoneally injected with 3.5 mg/kg of CdCl₂ on day 10 or 11 of gestation (vaginal plug = day 0). Pregnant mice were pretreated with 160 mg/kg of NAC intravenously 2 hours before dosing with CdCl₂. Pregnant mice were killed on day 17 of gestation. Fetuses were examined for external malformations, especially limb malformations, cleft palate and abnormal palatal rugae. There was little difference in body weight gain of dams during the gestation period in the groups treated with NAC plus Cd as compared with the groups treated with Cd alone. Pretreatment with 160 mg/kg of NAC decreased the fetal mortality, incidence of cleft palate and abnormal palatal rugae induced by Cd on day 11. On day 10, pretreatment with NAC decreased the incidence of Cd induced abnormal palatal rugae. These results clearly indicate that NAC exerts protective effects against embryotoxicity and teratogenicity of Cd.