Temporomandibular joint: morphology and signal intensity characteristics of the disk at MR imaging

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has been used in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) primarily to define the disk position. This report examines altered morphology and signal intensity characteristics of the TMJ disk as they relate to the severity of internal derangement. Two hundred sixteen joints in 133 patients with a history of such derangement. were imaged with MR. Disk position, signal intensity, morphology, and the presence of osteoarthritis were determined for each joint. The normal disk was not anteriorly displaced and had a normal "bow-tie" shape. A grade 1 disk was anteriorly displaced and had a normal shape; a grade 2 disk was anteriorly displaced and had an abnormal shape. Forty (19%) joints were considered normal; none of these exhibited osteoarthritis. One hundred thirty-nine (64%) joints were grade 1; osteoarthritis was found in 17%. Thirty-seven (17%) were grade 2; osteoarthritis was found in 95%. All forty normal joints had high or intermediate signal intensity in the disk. Osteoarthritic joints had a higher percentage of disks with diminished intensity (P less than .0001). Severe or untreated osteoarthritis is known to be a complication of TMJ internal derangements; hence this grading system seems to correlate with the severity of internal derangement.     

Comparative Analysis of Accumulation of Chlorine e6 and Hematoporphyrin Derivatives in Subpopulations of Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes

We studied accumulation of porphyrin photosensitizers chlorine e6, hematoporphyrin, and their derivatives by different lymphocyte subpopulations. The intensity of staining of B lymphocytes and natural killer cells with photosensitizers was higher compared to T lymphocytes. T cell subpopulation differed by their ability to bind photosensitizers. Relative accumulation of dimethyl esters of chlorine e6 and hematoporphyrin in cells surpassed that of nonesterified porphyrins.     

Effect of transfer of human ApoA1 gene on development of dyslipoproteinemias in rats: Age peculiarities

Transfer of human ApoA1 gene within the molecular construction which provides its expression, to the liver of the adult and aged rats resulted in the appearance of human protein in their blood, and was accompanied by changes in the content of high-density lipoproteins and of their subclasses HDL(3) and HDL(2), as well as by the shifts in their protein and lipid composition. Synthesis of human ApoA1 was more marked in the organism of adult rats, and gene-regulatory shifts in aged rats.     

Mobilization of early hematopoietic progenitor cells with BB-10010: a genetically engineered variant of human macrophage inflammatory protein- 1 alpha

BB-10010 is a genetically engineered variant of human macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha with improved solution properties. We show here that it mobilizes stem cells into the peripheral blood. We investigated the mobilizing effects of BB-10010 on the numbers of circulating 8-day spleen colony-forming units (CFU-S8), CFU-S12, and progenitors with marrow repopulating ability (MRA). A single subcutaneous dose of BB-10010 caused a twofold increase in circulating numbers of CFU-S8, CFU-S12, and MRA 30 minutes after dosing. We also investigated the effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G- CSF) and the combination of G-CSF with BB-10010 on progenitor mobilization. Two days of G-CSF treatment increased circulating CFU-S8, CFU-S12, and MRA progenitors by 25.7-, 19.8-, and 27.7-fold. A single administration of BB-10010 after 2 days of G-CSF treatment increased circulating CFU-S8, CFU-S12, and MRA even further to 38-, 33-, and 100- fold. Splenectomy resulted in increased circulating progenitor numbers but did not change the pattern of mobilization. Two days of treatment with G-CSF then increased circulating CFU-S8, CFU-S12, and MRA by 64-, 69-, and 32-fold. A single BB-10010 administration after G-CSF treatment further increased them to 85-, 117-, and 140-fold, respectively, compared with control. We conclude that BB-10010 causes a rapid increase in the number of circulating hematopoietic progenitors and further enhances the numbers induced by pretreatment with G-CSF. BB- 10010 preferentially mobilized the more primitive progenitors with marrow repopulating activity, releasing four times the number achieved with G-CSF alone. Translated into a clinical setting, this improvement in progenitor cell mobilization may enhance the efficiency of harvest and the quality of grafts for peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.     

Cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index values in 9-year-old rural Norwegian children

Aim: To describe cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index (BMI) values in a representative population of 9-year-old Norwegian children in two rural communities and compare present values with previous findings.
Methods: Two hundred and fifty-nine 9-year-old children were invited, and 256 participated in this study. Maximal oxygen uptake was directly measured during a continuous progressive treadmill protocol. Body mass and height were also measured.
Results: The mean ± SD relative maximal oxygen uptake was 52.8 ± 6.5 for boys and 46.9 ± 7.2 mL/kg/min for girls. Eight percent of the boys and 16.8% of the girls were classified as overweight, and 1.6% of the boys and 6.9% of the girls as obese. Mean age, body mass, height and Ponderal index were not significantly different between sexes. Girls had a higher BMI than boys (p = 0.05).
Conclusion: Compared to earlier Norwegian studies, children's BMI values seem to have increased substantially. This increase is most pronounced in girls. When assessing these differences using the PI, this increase is less marked. Comparing maximal oxygen uptake data with that in earlier Nordic studies, there is no evidence that fitness has declined among 9-year olds. However, the limitations of the few earlier studies make reliable comparisons difficult.     

The vasoactive properties of different classes of blood lipoproteins in hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis

Studies were made of the effects of various classes of lipoproteins (LP) from the blood of rabbits with experimental hypercholesterolemia and human subjects with pronounced atherosclerosis on the vascular tone of rat thoracic aorta specimens. In hypercholesterolemia, there was a considerable weakening of a vasodilatory action of atherogenic LP fractions--LDL and VLDL. A vasodilatory effect of HDLP was not changed. In subjects suffering from atherosclerosis vasodilatory effects of both atherogenic and antiatherogenic HDLP decreased significantly. The revealed changes were related to shifts in lipid and protein components of LP complexes manifesting in the development of dyslipoproteinemia and dysapoproteinemia. In atherosclerosis accompanied with more profound changes suppression of vasodilatory effects of LP is greater than in transient experimental hypercholesterolemia. Consequently, changes of lipid and apo composition of LP and weakening of their vasodilatory action play a considerable role in the vessel tone changes in atherogenic situation.