Migräne

Migraine is a prevalent disease that affects women more frequently than men. A particular trigger for migraine is the perimenstrual period. Acute migraine attacks during menstruation are treated similarly to nonmenstrual attacks, e.g., with analgesics or triptans. In women with pure menstrual migraine, short-term prophylaxis can be performed with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), estrogens, or low-dose triptans. During pregnancy migraine improves. After menopause frequency and severity of migraine attacks improve.     

Enzyme immunoassay for the determination of IgE antibodies specific to grass pollen allergens using monoclonal antibodies of the BL-IgE series. 2. Performance and results of a collaborative study to evaluate the test system

This paper describes performance and results of a collaborative study in which the solid-phase enzyme immunoassay was tested in order to determine specific IgE under practical conditions. All titres of specific IgE can be differentiated in a reproducible way with high significance.     

Klinische Pr?sentation und Prognose von Hirnstamminfarkten Eine Auswertung der Schlaganfall-Datenbank der Stiftung Deutsche Schlaganfall-Hilfe Eine Auswertung der Schlaganfall-Datenbank der Stiftung Deutsche Schlaganfall-Hilfe

Angesichts der vielf?ltigen klinischen Klassifikationssysteme und Syndrome fehlt bislang ein repr?sentativer überblick über ?tiologie und Prognose von Hirnstamminfarkten. Aus der Deutschen Schlaganfall-Datenbank untersuchten wir daher 455 Patienten mit bildmorphologisch nachgewiesenem, akuten Hirnstamminfarkt im Vergleich zu Patienten mit anderer Infarktlokalisation. Durch Nachbefragung der Patienten nach 3 und 12 Monaten wurden au?erdem das funktionelle Ergebnis sowie die Reinsultrate erhoben.     

The effect of neuropeptide Y on sodium, chloride and potassium transport across the rat distal colon.

1. Neuropeptide Y (NPY; 10(-10)-10(-7) mol l-1) reduced basal short-circuit current (Isc) in a concentration-dependent manner in the rat distal colon but was ineffective in the proximal colon. 2. The action of NPY was dependent upon the presence of Cl- and HCO3- anions and was blocked by prior treatment of the tissue with a Cl- channel blocker. The decrease in Isc was associated with an increase in mucosa-to-serosa fluxes of Na+, Rb+ (K+) and Cl-, whereas the serosa-to-mucosa flux of Cl- was decreased. 3. The size of the inhibitory NPY effect was linearly correlated with the height of the basal Isc, i.e. it inhibited 55% of basal secretory Isc. 4. The action of NPY was unaffected by indomethacin and tetrodotoxin, when given alone, but was abolished, when the basal Isc was decreased to values near zero by a combination of both inhibitors. This inhibition could be overcome by restoring basal Isc with prostaglandin E2, indicating that the effect of NPY is not mediated by nerves or prostaglandins, but that NPY is only effective, when anion secretion is stimulated by the spontaneous release of neurotransmitters and prostaglandins. 5. NPY inhibited the increase in Isc induced by veratridine and prostaglandin E2, but it had no effect on the Isc induced by direct stimulation of the adenylate cyclase with forskolin, or on Isc induced by stimulation of the Ca(2+)-pathway with carbachol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Schlaganfallverbund Essen

Modern stroke care is now comparable to the care for cardiac ischemia. Although there are 100 stroke units in Germany, only a few patients can be treated with all the options available with evidence-based medicine. The stroke network in Essen is based on a concept, which optimizes all elements of stroke care, from the acute onset to rehabilitation. The Essen manual on stroke summarizes all results of the local round table talks. Logistics for acute situations, recommendations for prehospital care, and requirements at admission are explained in detail. With networks for stroke, patient care can be optimized and costs can be saved.     

Control of focal adhesion dynamics by material surface characteristics

The mechanisms of cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM) which are of fundamental importance for function, survival, and growth of cells involve the formation of focal adhesions to facilitate integrin signaling. Recently, it became evident that focal adhesions are not stable but move to enable cell migration and ECM formation. We examined the number, size, and dynamic behavior of focal adhesions in living MG-63 osteoblastic cells, which were cultured on titanium surfaces with different roughnesses and on stainless steel (SS). As a marker for focal adhesions we used GFP-tagged vinculin, a cytoskeletal protein. Focal adhesions were smaller on titanium and on SS than on collagen-coated glass coverslips. The corundum-blasted rough surface of titanium induced the smallest adhesions. On all the surfaces that we have tested, we observed a mobility of focal adhesions. On collagen-coated coverslips focal adhesions moved with a speed of 60 nm/min. The speed was reduced on titanium and still more restricted on SS. The topography did not affect the mobility of focal adhesions. We conclude that on the material surfaces that we have studied a reduced mobility of focal adhesions may strengthen the linkages between cell and ECM but impair the ability to dynamically organize and remodel the ECM. The results may have a great impact in the functional evaluation of tailored biomaterial surfaces for the application in tissue engineering.     

CDX-2 immunostaining in primary and secondary ovarian carcinomas

AIMS: To assess the value of homeobox protein CDX-2 expression in the distinction between primary ovarian carcinomas and carcinomas metastatic to the ovary. METHODS: CDX-2 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 120 serous, 68 endometrioid, 24 clear cell, and 16 mucinous carcinomas of the ovary. In addition, CDX-2 immunoreactivity was investigated in 20 metastases from adenocarcinomas to the ovary (15 of colorectal, two of gastric, one of appendiceal, one of pancreatic, and one of cervical origin) and their corresponding primary tumours. RESULTS: Almost all of the primary ovarian carcinomas lacked immunoreactivity for CDX-2. In contrast, 14 of the 16 metastases to the ovary from intestinal primaries showed CDX-2 immunoexpression. CONCLUSION: CDX-2 is a useful marker for differentiating primary ovarian carcinoma from carcinomas metastatic to the ovary.     

Segmental heterogeneity of the rat colon in the response to activators of secretion on the cAMP-, the cGMP- and the Ca(2+)-pathway.

The electrolyte transport was compared in proximal and distal segments of the rat colon under control conditions and after induction of secretion on the cAMP-, the cGMP- and the Ca(2+)-pathway. Baseline short-circuit current was decreased by indomethacin and tetrodotoxin in the distal colon, indicating a spontaneous production of neuronally acting prostaglandins. In contrast, baseline short-circuit current in the proximal colon was decreased only by indomethacin, but not by tetrodotoxin. Unidirectional flux measurements revealed that in the distal colon sodium and chloride were absorbed, while the proximal colon secreted chloride. A morphological comparison between the distal and proximal epithelium revealed that the zonulae occludentes and the microvilli were longer in the distal colon. The size of the Golgi apparatus was several times larger in the crypt than in the surface region without differences between proximal and distal colon. Distal segments were more sensitive to an activator of the Ca(2+)-pathway, carbachol, or activators of the cAMP-pathway such as forskolin and a cAMP-analogue. In contrast, the activation of the cGMP-pathway by a cGMP-analogue or by the heat-stable enterotoxin of E. coli (STa) was more effective in the proximal colon. The results give evidence for a segmental specificity with regard to the intracellular pathways responsible for the activation of secretion.     

Acute changes of coagulation and fibrinolysis parameters after experimental thromboembolic stroke and thrombolytic therapy

Thrombolysis is the only effective pharmaceutical therapy in acute ischemic stroke in humans but has a high risk of intracerebral hemorrhage. We aimed to establish an animal model to study changes of coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters during thromboembolic ischemic stroke and thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). We used a thromboembolic stroke model in the rat. Animals were treated with rt-PA thrombolysis (n = 10) and compared with untreated (n = 10), sham operated (n = 10) and control animals (n = 20). Coagulation parameters (APTT, PT, TT, fibrinogen, AT III, TAT) and fibrinolytic parameters (t-PA antigen concentration, t-PA activity, PAI-1 concentration, PAI activity, plasminogen, antiplasmin) were measured at two time points (2.5 and 5 h after stroke induction) with a battery of commercially available test kits. We observed an (1) initiation of coagulation and inhibition of fibrinolysis by the operation procedure itself, (2) simultaneous activation of fibrinolysis and its inhibitors after stroke induction and (3) potent initiation of fibrinolysis and consumption of fibrinolysis inhibitors after rt-PA therapy of stroke. We established a model system to monitor coagulation and fibrinolysis during thrombolytic therapy of stroke in the rat. This model may be used to study the influence of these parameters on hemorrhagic stroke transformation and outcome in experimental stroke in future.