Differential effects of sulindac on renal hemodynamics and function in the rat

Renal hemodynamics were studied using an electromagnetic perivascular flow sensor in anesthetized rats injected i.v. with vehicle, 5 or 10 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) sulindac. No hemodynamic changes occurred with vehicle (n=6), but mean arterial pressure was significantly decreased (by 15 mmHg) with sulindac (n=12). In the 5 mg/kg b.w. sulindac group (n=7), renal blood flow progressively and significantly increased from 7.88±0.36 to 8.98±0.58 ml/min, except during concomitant intrarenal infusion of 3 mg/kg b.w. per h proadifen (n=7). The pressure limits for efficient and no renal blood flow autoregulation remained unchanged (approx. 100 and 80 mmHg, respectively). In the 10 mg/kg b.w. sulindac group (n=5), renal blood flow did not change but autoregulatory pressure limits were lowered by 10 mmHg 2 h after treatment (P<0.025). Also, Na⁺ retention was marked. Prostanoid excretion in urine was significantly reduced with either dose but basal plasma renin activity was not (about 8 ng/ml per h; n=15). When plasma renin activity was enhanced after a reduction in renal perfusion pressure (n=21), it was decreased from 11.5±1.2 to 7.4±0.2 ng/ml per h only by 10 mg/kg b.w. sulindac (P<0.05; n=6). In conclusion, differential effects of sulindac on renal hemodynamics, Na⁺ excretion and plasma renin activity were demonstrated. Renal hemodynamic changes could be related in part to the cytochrome P-450 arachidonic acid pathway.     

Nanophthalmos with uveal effusion

A typical case of nanophthalmos with uveal effusion syndrome is reported. Clinical, pathological and therapeutic aspects of uveal effusion syndrome are discussed. A surgical treatment consisting of lamellar sclerectomies is proposed.     

Transplantation of embryonic noradrenergic neurons in two models of adult rat spinal cord injury: ultrastructural immunocytochemical study

The synaptic connections established by grafted noradrenergic (NA) neurons into the lesioned adult rat spinal cord were analysed using immunocytochemistry at the electron microscopic level. An embryonic cell suspension of the locus coeruleus region from E-13 rat embryos was transplanted into the spinal cord following either: (1) spinal cord transection or (2), partial selective denervation by 6-hydroxy dopamine (6-OH DA). One month after grafting, the NA-neurons established, in the two models, an innervation pattern similar to that found in the intact spinal cord. In both models, the transplanted NA-immunoreactive neurons formed extensive synaptic contacts with dendrites, spines and perikarya. The proportion of axodendritic and axospinous contacts was inverse in the two models. The first model thus reproduced more closely the normal synaptic pattern prefering dendritic targets, which could correspond to a better integration of the graft. In the second model, a partially NA-denervated spinal cord, there existed a competition between residual intrinsic and grafted neuron-derived fibres, which presumably affects synaptogenesis. In conclusion, the present study illustrate the complexity of cell interations conducting to the formation of a specific circuitry. Recognition phenomenon are likely modulated by space constraints, which ultimately shape-up the geometry of synaptic contacts.     

Pilomatrixoma of the eyelid. Apropos of a case]

Primary adnexal tumors of the eyelids are quite uncommon. This diagnosis should be considered in the case of a sub-epidermal tumor. We report the case of a 25-year-old female patient presenting with a left eyelid nodular tumor, which appeared clinically as a whitish swelling of the lateral part of the eyelid, covered by normal epidermis. Ultrasonography showed a heterogeneous structure probably containing calcified areas. Complete surgical removal was performed under local anesthesia. Macroscopically, the tumor was encapsulated, with an irregular surface, and it appeared stony under section. Microscopically, it was characteristic of a pilomatrixoma, with sheets of mummified cells devoid of nuclei, either clear or basophilic, and partially calcified. Neither granulomatous reaction nor ossification were observed. This clinicopathological report recalls that pilomatrixoma may appear as a single nodular tumor of the eyelid.     

Phonological representations in children with SLI: a study of French.

The present research examined the quality of the phonological representations of French children with specific language impairment (SLI) and those with normal language development (NLD). Twenty-five children with SLI and 50 children with NLD matched on lexical age level participated in an auditory lexical decision task. The observations gathered in our study can be summarized as follows. First, children with a higher receptive lexical level performed better, and this was true both for children with NLD and children with SLI. Second, both children with NLD and those with SLI were more likely to reject pseudowords resulting from a modification affecting the number of syllables of a word than pseudowords resulting from a slight modification with the number of syllables unchanged. This difference, however, was greater for the children with SLI, who appeared to have much difficulty rejecting pseudowords resulting from slight modifications. Finally, the performance of children with SLI was particularly poor when presented with pseudowords resulting from a slight modification at the beginning or the end of a word. These findings are interpreted as supporting the hypothesis of an under-specification of phonological representations in children with SLI.     

Monitoring of somatosensory evoked potentials during surgery for scoliosis in young adults: apropos of 33 cases

The risk of serious neurologic complications in spinal surgery for scoliosis is not insignificant. The recording of cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (CSEP) is an electrophysiological method of monitoring during surgery. Measurement of CSEPs was carried out before, during and after surgery in a preliminary series of 33 patients. These recordings were made: after induction of anesthesia and exposure of the spine; after instrumentation but without correction; after maximum traction; and at termination of surgery. The aim of this work was to establish alarm criteria. Statistical analysis showed a significant increase in latencies after instrumentation without correction, and after maximum traction. The alarm criteria were determined as an increase of more than 5 msec in the first positive deflection associated with an unusual drop in amplitude (over 75%). If these anomalies persist, the "wake-up test" must be used. In practice, this monitoring has often aided in reducing the period of surgery by using the "wake-up test" in a few selected cases.     

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in the Caribbean island of Martinique: evidence for a large radiation of HCV-2 and for a recent introduction from Europe of HCV-4

Molecular epidemiological studies of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the Caribbean may help to specify the origin and spread of HCV infection. Indeed, the Caribbean population is intermixed from European and African origins and geographically close to the American continent. We characterized HCV genotypes in the Caribbean island of Martinique. HCV genotypes were analyzed by sequencing or reverse hybridization in the 5' noncoding region (5'NC) in 250 HCV-monoinfected and 85 HCV-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-coinfected patients. In addition, sequencing in the nonstructural 5B (NS5B) gene was required to determine the subtype or to perform phylogenetic analysis in selected samples. Genotypes 1 to 6 were found, respectively, in 84.4, 6.8, 5.2, 2.8, 0.4, and 0.4% of 250 HCV-monoinfected patients and in 71.7, 7.1, 15.3, 5.9, 0, and 0% of 85 HCV-HIV-coinfected patients. HCV-1b was found in 66.4% of the HCV-monoinfected patients and was associated with blood transfusion, whereas HCV-1a was detected in 41.2% of the HCV-HIV-coinfected patients and was associated with intravenous drug use (IVDU). The HCV-3 strains belonged to subtype 3a and were linked to IVDU. Phylogenetic analyses were focused on HCV-2 and HCV-4, which are common in Africa. Two opposite patterns were evidenced. NS5B sequences from 19 HCV-2 isolates were affiliated with many different subtypes described either in Europe or in West Africa, suggesting an ancient radiation. In contrast, seven of the nine HCV-4 NS5B sequences ranged within HCV-4a and HCV-4d clusters spreading in continental France by the IVDU route. Epidemiological data demonstrate the recent introduction of HCV-4a and -4d subtypes into the Caribbean.     

Lack of L-selectin expression by cells transferring diabetes in NOD mice: insights into the mechanisms involved in diabetes prevention by Mel-14 antibody treatment

The process of mononuclear cell extravasation from the blood into the islets of Langerhans in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice is dependent on the expression of a set of molecules, most of which remain to be defined. The observation that vascular addressins are expressed in inflamed islets raises the issue of the involvement of one of their ligands, L-selectin, in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diabetes. Treatment of NOD females with Mel-14, an antibody specific for L-selectin, reduced the spontaneous development of both insulitis and diabetes. Pretreatment of diabetic donors with Mel-14 decreased the capacity of their splenocytes to transfer the disease. However, the treatment of recipients had no effect on the transfer of diabetes by untreated diabetogenic splenocytes. To reconcile these apparently conflicting results, we fractionated spleen T cells from diabetic mice according to L-selectin expression. Diabetogenic cells were found only in the L-selectin subpopulation. Thus, diabetogenic cells in adult mice share phenotypic characteristics with activated/memory cells, and enter the pancreas using L-selectin-independent migratory pathways.