The Moral Status of Human‐Animal Chimeras with Human Brain Cells

While there is not unanimity (across time or cultures), almost all who read this commentary will think that both they and a toddler have a moral status higher than that of a rat. For instance, they will think that a third party who has to choose whom to save from death should choose them over the rat, and the toddler over the rat. But what is it about humans that gives us this greater moral status? This question is particularly pressing when considering that scientists have begun creating human‐animal chimeras with brains composed partly or wholly of human cells. In “Human‐Animal Chimeras: The Moral Insignificance of Uniquely Human Capacities,” Julian Koplin focuses on the moral implications of such experiments and those that use (or plan to use) these chimeras to study diseases and treatments. How should we understand the concerns about moral status that have been raised about such chimeras? In this commentary, I interpret these concerns differently from Koplin and respond to his suggestion that the greater one's ability to draw value from certain kinds of conscious experiences, the greater one's moral status.     

Nitrosation of amines by stimulated macrophages

Rats and mice treated in vivo with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesize and excrete large quantities of nitrate. Murine peritoneal macrophages, elicited in vivo with thioglycolate and stimulated in vitro with LPS and/or gamma-interferon (IFN), produce copious amounts of nitrate and nitrite. We report here experiments showing N-nitrosamine formation by macrophages immunostimulated in vitro. Macrophage cell lines J774.1, PU5-1.8, WEHI-3 and RAW 264 and freshly isolated macrophages from C3H/He mice were used. Macrophages were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (pH 7.5) supplemented with calf serum (10%). Supernatant NO2- and NO3- were measured. N-Nitrosamines were extracted with dichloromethane and the extracts analyzed by a gas chromatography--thermal energy analyzer. Cells (1.5 X 10(6)/ml) were incubated with LPS (10 micrograms/ml) and morpholine (15 mM) for 72 h at 37 degrees C. Under these conditions, all of the cell types listed above produced nitrite (40-70 microM) and N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR; 114-940 nM). LPS was required for both processes, and this effect was enhanced by IFN. Nitrite (150 microM) incubated with morpholine in cell-free medium did not form NMOR nor did cells plus morpholine and NO2-. The rate of NMOR formation in the J774.1 cell line was highest in the middle incubation period (24-36 h) although [NO2-] was highest in the final incubation period (48-72 h). Thus, the cells do not catalyze nitrosamine formation per se, rather the amine traps out a reactive nitrosating species prior to the formation of NO2- and NO3-. These results suggest that immunostimulated macrophages may be capable of nitrosamine formation under physiological conditions.     

Cat-301 immunoreactivity in the lateral geniculate nucleus and visual cortex of the strabismic amblyopic cat

Purpose: It was investigated whether alterations in neuronal structure and function occasioned by strabismic amblyopia also may be reflected in alterations in the expression on Y type neurons of a Cat-301 antibody sensitive antigen in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and cortex of our cat model of strabismic amblyopia. Methods/Results: The percentage of positively labelled cells was reduced in LGN laminae that received input from the deviated eye in strabismic amblyopic cats compared with normal cats. In the strabismic cortex, the density of immunopositive neurons was significantly reduced compared with normal, the effect being most pronounced in layer IV Conclusions: Despite previous physiological recordings indicating a decrease in X-cell associated acuity in strabismic amblyopia, the present findings imply that the changes in the early visual experience occasioned by strabismus also produce specific molecular changes in theY neuronal class.     

New aspects in the diagnosis of intervertebral disk displacement of the upper lumbar spine with special reference to magnetic resonance tomography

A report is presented on two patients who received surgery on a disc prolapse between the lumbar vertebrae 4 and 5 as treatment for compression of the fifth lumbar root, but in whom the clinically relevant disc prolapse was located higher (lumbar vertebrae 1/2 or thoracic vertebra 12/lumbar vertebra 1). Magnetic resonance tomography made a major contribution to the later diagnosis of the high disc prolapses. Besides precise localization of the lesion, MRT made it easier to understand why such a high disc prolapse can cause a compression syndrome of the fifth lumbar root.     

Aortopulmonary window with patent ductus arteriosus and interrupted aortic arch: A case report

Indian Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery -     

Benefits of combined balloon pumping and percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass.

Sixteen patients (2 women, 14 men) aged 29 to 72 years with continued cardiogenic shock during intraaortic balloon pumping (IABP) had additional treatment with percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass (PBY). Cause of cardiogenic shock was myocardial infarction in 7 (3 survived), failed percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty requiring emergency coronary artery bypass grafting in 5, postoperative aortic valve replacement in 1, postoperative emergency coronary artery bypass grafting in 1, after cardiac transplantation in 1, and bridging to transplantation in 1. Mean blood pressure with PBY and IABP combined was 75 mm Hg versus 60 mm Hg with IABP off. Percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass flows ranged from 0.8 to 2.1 L/min with a mean flow of 1.3 L/min. Time on IABP ranged from 24 hours to 1 week. Time on IABP to PBY ranged from 1 to 20 hours, and time on PBY ranged from 65 minutes to 20 hours. Ten of 16 (63%) were successfully weaned, and 3 died after weaning. Seven of 16 (44%) survive. Combined IABP with PBY appears to be a better therapy than either one individually. Staging the therapy as the balloon first in and last out appears to be a good methodology.     

Diet and chronic atrophic gastritis: a case-control study

A hospital-based case-control study of gastric cancer precursor lesions was conducted in a high-risk black population in southern Louisiana. Ninety-three subjects with biopsy-proved advanced chronic atrophic gastritis were compared to two control series: a gastroscopy clinic series and a general hospital-admission series. Dietary case-control differences indicated a protective effect associated with fruit and vegetable intake and with dietary vitamin C and a risk elevation associated with milk consumption. The protective effect associated with consumption of fruits, vegetables, and vitamin C is consistent with findings for gastric cancer and with the etiologic hypothesis of intragastric nitrosation. A twofold increased risk was associated with cigarette smoking. Gastric juice pH, NO3-, and NO2- were determined for subjects undergoing gastroscopy, and comparisons were made between this high-risk U.S. group and a Colombian population with a much greater magnitude of risk; the latter had higher NO3- and NO2- levels. An increase in pH was associated with increasing severity of gastric lesions. Levels of pH and NO2- concentration were significantly correlated (P less than .0005); however, in Louisiana the large difference in NO2- concentration associated with pH elevation is not associated with histopathologic severity. Divergent trends with severity of lesions for NO3- concentration were seen in the two populations.