Effect of age and caloric restriction on insulin receptor binding and glucose transporter levels in aging rats

We report on the effect of age and chronic caloric restriction (CR) on insulin binding and glucose transporter content in both diaphragm and heart muscle membrane of young (11 months), mid-age (17 months), and old (29 month) ad libitum fed and CR Brown-Norway rats. The control animals received rat chow ad lib and CR animals were allowed 60% of ad libitum food. The CR regimen was initiated at four months of age and the animals were maintained on their respective diets until necropsy. There was no effect of age on insulin binding for either ad libitum or CR animals at each age evaluated. Caloric restriction significantly lowered insulin levels at each age studied when compared to the ad libitum-fed rats. However, CR animals were noted to have increased insulin binding (p < 0.001) compared to ad libitum-fed animals at each age for diaphragm muscle. For the heart, there appeared to be a decreased binding, particularly at higher insulin concentrations, in CR-fed animals. There was no net change in Glut-1 or Glut-4 levels for heart muscle membrane, or Glut-4 levels for diaphragm muscle membrane between ad libitum or CR animals. This data indicates that caloric restriction may have tissue-specific effects for insulin receptor binding, and that the improved insulin sensitivity in CR states is not a result of altered glucose transporter protein content.     

Myelopathy due to epidural varicose veins of the cervicothoracic junction. Case report

A 30-year-old man presented with a subacute course of myelopathic signs and symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an epidural mass lesion of the spinal canal at the cervicothoracic junction causing compression of the spinal cord. Laminectomy with resection of this lesion revealed a large varix with acute and chronic thrombus. Postoperatively, an improvement in neurological function occurred. Spinal epidural varicosities have been reported as an etiological factor in lumbar and sacral radiculopathies. This is the first reported case of spinal cord compression in association with spinal epidural varices. The diagnosis, pathophysiology, and management of this disorder are presented.     

Treatment of progressive axial deformities in children by surgical measures of the growth plate

Report of the results of 4 surgically treated epiphyseal injuries with progressing deformities in the lower extremities (3 injuries type V, 1 epiphyseal fracture type IV according to Salter and Harris). Our Surgical procedure consisted in a resection of the posttraumatic transphyseal bony bridge with a following interposition of a silastic block to prevent again transphyseal blocking. The indications for such a surgical procedure is explained possibilities leading to failures are discussed. The results of our experimental studies being the basis for such operations are reported.     

Outcome analysis in 654 surgically treated lumbar disc herniations.

This article reports the outcomes of 654 consecutive patients treated during a 4.5-year period. Patients had a microdiscectomy, a laminectomy plus microdiscectomy, or a decompressive laminectomy with a microdiscectomy. The causes of ruptured discs were lifting (31.4%), falls (10.2%), and sports (10.0%). Almost all patients had complained of leg pain (99%), and 79% had radicular pain in a dermatomal distribution. Thirty-three percent of the patients had been involved in industrial accidents, and 6% had legal claims pending during the surgical period. Almost 11% of the patients had complications, and there was one death caused by abdominal arterial bleeding. Patients were also rated according to the Prolo Functional-Economic Outcome Rating Scale to improve the ability to compare series in the future. Almost 80% of the patients had good outcomes as defined by scores on this scale of 8 (16.2%), 9 (33.2%), and 10 (26.9%). Several conclusions can be drawn from the results of this series: 1) most patients had good outcomes; 2) patients with nonindustrial injuries had better outcomes than did patients with industrial injuries; 3) professionals with legal concerns and laborers with industrial insurance had good outcomes; and 4) the Functional-Economic Outcome Rating Scale appears to be a useful tool for comparing different procedures more objectively and for comparing the outcomes across series.     

Oculomotor (N III) motoneurons can innervate the superior oblique muscle of Xenopus after larval trochlear (N IV) nerve surgery

The position of motoneurons which reinnervate the superior oblique muscle (SOM), normally exclusively innervated by contralateral trochlear motoneurons, was studied in Xenopus using retrograde tracing techniques. The trochlear nerve was cut at its decussation in 49 larvae of different ages and, after subsequent regeneration, the total number of trochlear motoneurons was found to be reduced to about 50% of the controls. In contrast, the number of ipsilateral trochlear motoneurons was increased. Cutting the trochlear nerve at later stages may result in absence of this nerve. In some animals the SOM was innervated either by superior rectus or, more frequently, by inferior oblique motoneurons alone; the latter is known to act predominantly as an antagonist of the SOM.