N-cadherin expression in adrenal tumors: upregulation in malignant pheochromocytoma and downregulation in adrenocortical carcinoma

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are important regulators of tumor growth. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression pattern of CAMs in adrenal tumors regarding origin (cortex vs medulla) and biologic behavior (benign vs malignant). Eighty-seven adrenal tumors were investigated by immunocytochemistry (ICC) using monoclonal antibodies against N-cadherin (NCAD), E-cadherin (ECAD), neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), and CD44. Western blotting was performed on 30 tumors using the same antibodies. Markers for proliferation (Ki-67) and catecholamine synthesis (tyrosine hydroxylase) were also analyzed in tumors by ICC. NCAD was expressed in 12/27 benign pheochromocytomas (BPCs) (12 familial cases), 8/8 malignant pheochromocytomas (MPCs), 28/30 adrenocortical adenomas, and 9/22 adrenocortical carcinomas. ECAD was expressed in 0/27 BPCs, 0/8 MPCs, 0/30 adrenocortical adenomas, and 2/22 adrenocortical carcinomas. NCAM was expressed in 26/27 BPCs, 7/8 MPCs, 21/30 adrenocrotical adenomas, and 17/22 adrenocortical carcinomas. CD44 was expressed in 23/27 BPCs, 6/8 MPCs, 7/30 adrenocortical adenomas, and 4/22 adrenocortical carcinomas. Both cortical and medullary adrenal tumors expressed NCAD, NCAM, and CD44 but were devoid of ECAD. The expression of CD44 and NCAM did not correlate with the malignant potential of tumors. NCAD was upregulated in MPCs, but downregulated in adrenocortical carcinoma. Thus, NCAD appears to be involved in the development of both cortical and medullary adrenal tumors.     

Catechol-O-methyltransferase activity in erythrocytes in Down''s syndrome: family studies

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) activity in erythrocytes was measured in six children with Down's syndrome and in their parents to determine if COMT activity is related to a gene on chromosome 21. A gene dosage effect was a possible explanation of the COMT value in three of the children but not in the other three.     

The effect of acute zimeldine and alaproclate administration on the acquisition of two-way active avoidance: Comparison with other antidepressant agents,test of selectivity and sub-chronic studies

The dose-dependent effect of acute zimeldine and alaproclate treatment upon the acquisition of two-way and one-way active avoidance in the rat was studied in a single-session and in a repeated-sessions design. Zimeldine (5–20 mg/kg, IP), but not alaproclate, caused disruptions of two-way avoidance acquisition. Acquisition deficits were also caused by citalopram and fluoxetine but not the other antidepressant drugs tested. Zimeldine, but not alaproclate or desipramine, caused a slight but non-significant impairment of one-way active avoidance; neither zimeldine nor alaproclate produced any effects upon fear conditioning and retention testing. The long-term action of p-chloroamphetamine (2×10 mg/kg) antagonised the acute zimeldine effect totally, and chronic treatment with zimeldine (15 days, 1×50 mol/kg) and chlorimipramine (15 days, 2×10 mol/kg) also caused some partial blockade of the two-way avoidance deficit. These data seem to suggest some involvement of serotonin (5-HT) in the observed disruptions of two-way active avoidance caused by acute zimeldine treatment.     

T-maze learning, spontaneous activity and food intake recovery following systemic administration of the noradrenaline neurotoxin, DSP4

Following systemic administration of the noradrenaline (NA) neurotoxin, DSP4 (50 mg/kg), rats were found to be retarded in the rate at which they acquired the "right-turn" running response in a modified T-maze choice situation, as measured by the total number of errors per session and median latency to reach the goal box. Desipramine (DMI, 20 mg/kg), injected 30 min before DSP4 blocked the acquisition retardation. DSP4 was found to have a short-lasting effect upon spontaneous motor activity, while food and water intake recovery was complete within 7 days of the injection. Both the NA-accumulation data and endogenous NA concentrations indicated profound NA, but not 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA), depletions in the cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum. These data seem to confirm the role of the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline (LC-NA) system in an instrumental learning situation.     

Knowledge of reproduction in teenagers and young adults in Sweden.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the knowledge of reproductive physiology and anatomy among adolescents and young adults in Sweden, and to evaluate the education obtained on these issues. METHODS: Two hundred and nine study specific questionnaires were distributed, of which 206 were answered by students in primary school, upper secondary school and at first year of university. A total knowledge score based on 21 out of the 35 questions in the questionnaire was calculated. As only 44 of the 206 respondents answered all the questions a revised score was also calculated, in which partial dropouts were interpreted as wrong answers. RESULTS: The mean of the total knowledge score was 28.7 out of 54 among the 44 respondents answering all questions, and the revised knowledge score was 24.0. The level of knowledge tended to be higher in older age groups, among women, as well as among respondents who had visited a Youth clinic. The time of ovulation was known by 21.4% of men compared to 63.4% of women. Almost 50% of the students knew one mechanism whereby oral contraceptives act to protect against pregnancy. Of the respondents, 77.2% knew of Chlamydia trachomatis but the knowledge of other STIs, like condyloma, was poorer (16.5%). Reasons for infertility were relatively well known among the respondents. Of the respondents, 57.5% stated that they had not received enough information on reproductive issues. CONCLUSIONS: The students have not achieved sufficient knowledge concerning sexual and reproductive matters that they, according to the national curriculum, should have attained by the end of the 9th grade. An improvement of the quality of the education, adapted to the students' age and pre-existing knowledge, and a review of the contents of the education is therefore needed.     

Five-year follow-up of total disc replacement compared to fusion: a randomized controlled trial

Purpose

To evaluate long-term clinical results of lumbar total disc replacement (TDR) compared with posterior lumbar fusion.

Methods

This prospective randomized controlled trial comprised 152 patients; 80 were randomized to TDR and 72 to fusion. All patients had chronic low back pain (CLBP) and had not responded to nonsurgical treatment. Primary outcome measure was global assessment of back pain (GA), secondary outcome measures were back and leg pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), EQ5D, and SF-36. All measures were collected from SweSpine (Swedish national register for spinal surgery) at 1, 2, and 5 years. Follow-up rate at 5 years was 99.3 %.

Results

Both groups showed clinical improvement at 5-year follow-up. For GA, 38 % (30/80) in the TDR group were totally pain free vs. 15 % (11/71) in the fusion group (p < 0.003). Back pain and improvement of back pain were better in the TDR group: VAS back pain at 5 years 23 ± 29 vs. 31 ± 27, p = 0.009, and VAS improvement of back pain at 5 years 40 ± 32 vs. 28 ± 32, p = 0.022. ODI and improvement in ODI were also better in the TDR group: ODI at 5 years 17 ± 19 vs. 23 + 17, p = 0.02 and ODI improvement at 5 years 25 ± 18 vs. 18 ± 19 (p = 0.02). There was no difference in complications and reoperations between the two groups.

Conclusions

Global assessment of low back pain differed between the two surgical groups at all follow-up occasions. Significant differences between groups concerning back pain, pain improvement, and ODI were present at 1 year and disappeared at 2 years, but reappeared at the 5-year follow-up.     

Transfer of an ampicillin resistance gene between two Escherichia coli strains in the bowel microbiota of an infant treated with antibiotics

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the presumed acquisition of ampicillin resistance by an Escherichia coli strain residing in the gut of an infant. METHODS: E. coli strains were quantified in faecal samples obtained at regular intervals from an infant followed from birth to 12 months of age and their resistance profiles were determined. beta-Lactamases were identified by isoelectric focusing and genes by PCR followed by DNA sequencing. Plasmids were characterized by restriction fragment analysis and Southern-blot hybridization, and tested for conjugative transfer. RESULTS: The infant carried two E. coli strains, termed 29A and 29B, simultaneously in the microbiota during the first month of life. All isolates of 29A were resistant to ampicillin, whereas strain 29B, which was initially ampicillin susceptible, acquired resistance following treatment of the infant with ampicillin/amoxicillin because of urinary tract infection. Acquisition of resistance by strain 29B was associated with acquisition of a bla(TEM-1b)-encoding plasmid, pNK29, which was also present in strain 29A. Transfer of plasmid pNK29 could be replicated by conjugation from strain 29A to strain 29B in vitro. Strain 29A also adapted to ampicillin treatment by mutation of the bla(TEM-1b) promoter gene to yield a higher level of resistance. CONCLUSIONS: This is an unequivocal demonstration of gene transfer between two strains co-residing in the human gut, as the donor, recipient and transconjugant strains were isolated. The results suggest the dynamic adaptation by commensal bacteria in response to antibiotic treatment may occur readily.