Adrenergic and Cholinergic Innervation of the Supraduodenal Common Bile Duct

The in-built intrinsic adrenergic and cholinergic nervous apparatus of the supraduodenal common bile duct of the cat and the dog was studied using modern selective specific neurohistochemical thechnies. A rich distribution of fluorescing varicose adrenergic axons and small nerve fascicles was observed within all layers of the duct. The cholinergic innervation was even more richly developed, including large nerve fascicles and nerve trunks as well as cholinergic nerve cells and small ganglia. The present observations corroborate the therory that the common bile duct actively participates. under dual neural control, in biliary dynamics and is not merely a passive conducting tube.     

Hypochlorous acid induced activation of human neutrophil and gingival crevicular fluid collagenase can be inhibited by ascorbate

Abstract— Interstitial collagenase either obtained from human neutrophils by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) induced degranulation or isolated from human gingival crevicular fluid was found to be activated by addition of an oxidative agent, hypochlorous acid (HOCl). Collagenase released by PMA stimulated neutrophils was completely in latent form but underwent partial autoactivation during 16 h incubation at 22°C in the presence of soy bean trypsin inhibitor. The partial autoactivation was potentiated to complete activation of released collagenase after addition of exogenous HOCl. Ascorbate prevented this activation of neutrophil collagenase. Isolated human gingival crevicular fluid collagenase represented an apparent M_r of 70 kD in completely latent form, whereas 70/54 kD enzyme species were detected for partially autoactive form of the enzyme. Western blot analysis of gingival crevicular fluid using a polyclonal antibody raised against purified human neutrophil collagenase revealed the same 70/54 kD molecular forms of the enzyme. The latent gingival crevicular fluid collagenase was also activated by HOCl and this activation could be prevented by ascorbate. Activation of the 70 kD latent collagenase by HOCl as well as by other non-proteolytic activators such as an organomercurial compound (phenylmercuric chloride) and a gold (I) compound (gold thioglucose) was not associated with detectable changes in apparent M_r, whereas trypsin activation resulted in fragmentation of 70 kD enzyme to 54 kD species. Our results provide further evidence for the neutrophil origin of gingival crevicular fluid collagenase and suggest that, in addition to proteolytic activation, oxidative and antioxidative agents seem to be able to regulate neutrophil collagenase activity.     

Mental disorders and suicide prevention

Abstract In the research phase of the National Suicide Prevention Project, all suicides ( n = 1397) in Finland between March 1987 and April 1988 were examined retrospectively using the psychological autopsy method. Careful retrospective diagnostic evaluation of the victims according to DSM-III-R criteria was done by weighing and integrating all available information. A series of studies addressing the mental disorders among suicide victims, the treatment received before death and the life events is now reviewed.
Among a random sample of suicide victims from the nationwide suicide population, at least one psychiatric diagnosis was made for 93% of the victims. The most prevalent disorders were depressive syndromes (66%) and alcohol dependence/abuse (43%). The prevalence of major depression was higher among women than among men. Major depression as the principal diagnosis was more common among the elderly suicides. Among adolescent victims, depressive syndromes were also the most prevalent disorders. Adjustment disorders were common (25%) among male adolescent suicides. The majority of suicide victims of all ages suffered from comorbid mental disorders.
Among suicide victims who had had contact with a health carer before death, inadequacy of treatment for mental disorders seems to have been common. Of the major depressive victims only 3% were found to have received adequate psychopharmacological treatment, and only 7% received weekly psychotherapy by a trained therapist.
The analysis of the massive database collected in the research phase of the National Suicide Prevention Project in Finland is still ongoing, and the implications of the findings for suicide prevention will be refined during the research process. The necessity to improve recognition and treatment for comorbid depressive disorders in all age groups seems evident already.     

HUMAN GRANULOSA CELLS CONTAIN INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR-BINDING PROTEIN (IGF BP-1) mRNA

Previous studies have demonstrated expression of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein (IGF BP-1) in secretory and decidualized endometrium, in adult and fetal liver, and in HepG2 liver cancer cells. We have studied the expression of IGF BP-1 in various types of ovarian neoplasias, normal ovary, and granulosa cells from hyperstimulated human ovarian follicles by RNA blot hybridization. A single 1.6 kb mRNA species, similar to that present in human decidua, was identified in poly(A)RNA-containing preparations of granulosa cells and of a borderline malignant ovarian cystadenoma. This finding verifies the postulated production of IGF BP-1 by the human ovary.     

Reduction of increased polyamine levels in psoriatic lesions by retinoid and PUVA treatments

Treatment with an oral aromatie retinoid (etretinate) and with PUVA significantly reduced the elevated levels of putrescine, spermidine and spermlne in psoriatic lesions. Both treatments also significantly reduced the spermidine/spermine ratio, which is considered to be an indicator of proliferation activity. Although both regimens produced a roughly parallel reduction of epidermal polyamines the initial fall of putrescine was much more rapid in patients receiving retinoid. This may indicate that one of the primary targets of retinoids could be ornithine deearboxylase.     

C-reactive Protein in Population Samples

ABSTRACT The significance of C-reactive protein (CRP) was studied in three different sets of specimens. (a) Raised levels (>10 mg/1) were detected in 2.0% of 380 healthy blood donors from whom two blood specimens, taken at an interval of half a year, were tested. Except for two cases, only one of the two specimens was positive, (b) Raised levels were found three times as frequently (in 6.6%) in a random middle-aged population sample consisting of 531 subjects. More than 40% of the raised levels could be connected to acute respiratory infections, and about 20% to smoking. Five of the 35 subjects (14%) in the population sample with elevated CRP had rheumatoid arthritis, (c) The third set of sera comprised pre-illness specimens from 22 subjects who developed rheumatoid arthritis a few months to five years later. Although it had previously been proved that the majority of these sera contained rheumatoid factors, the CRP concentration was increased in one specimen only.     

Processing of auditory stimuli during auditory and visual attention as revealed by event-related potentials

Auditory event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded during auditory and visual selective attention tasks. Auditory stimuli consisted of frequent standard tones (1000 Hz) and infrequent deviant tones (1050 Hz and 1300 Hz) delivered randomly to the left and right ears. Visual stimuli were vertical line gratings randomly presented on a video monitor at mean intervals of 6 s. During auditory attention, the subject attended to the stimuli in a designated ear and responded to the 1300-Hz deviants occurring among the attended tones. During visual attention, the subject responded to the occasional visual stimuli. ERPs for tones delivered to the attended ear were negatively displaced relative to ERPs elicited by tones delivered to the unattended ear and to ERPs elicited by auditory stimuli during visual attention. This attention effect consisted of negative difference waves with early and late components. Mismatch negativities (MMNs) were elicited by 1300-Hz and 1050-Hz deviants irrespective of whether they occurred among attended or unattended tones. MMN amplitudes were unaffected by attention, supporting the proposal that the MMN is generated by an automatic cerebral discrimination process.     

Incidence of rare systemic rheumatic and connective tissue diseases in Finland

Objective. To obtain information on the incidence of rare systemic rheumatic and connective tissue diseases in Finland.
Design. Population-based epidemiological study.
Setting. Five out of 21 central hospital districts in Finland (population: about 1 million adults 16 years of age).
Subjects. Subjects entitled under the nationwide sickness insurance scheme to receive specially reimbursed medication for rare systemic rheumatic or connective tissue diseases in 1990.
Main outcome measure. Incidence.
Results. A total of 30 incident cases occurred. Nine patients had mixed connective tissue disease, four had systemic sclerosis, four had dermato/polymyositis and one patient had inclusion body myositis; the corresponding annual incidence rates were 8, 4, 4 and 1/million of the adult population. Only one patient had adult Still's disease. The overall annual incidence rate of systemic vasculitides was 9/million of the adult population.
Conclusion. This study provides population-based figures on the incidence of rare systemic rheumatic and connective tissue diseases in Finland.     

Smoking control in Finland: A case study in policy formulation and implementation

The article describes and analyzes the policy planning and politicaldecision-making processes in smoking control in Finland, withspecial reference to legislation introduced in the mid-'seventies.The analytical framework behind the strategy is presented inthe form of goal-means analysis. Four sets of measures are discussed:health education, restrictions both on marketing and on smoking,price policy and supporting research and development. Both inthe policy formulation and in the implementation phase conflictsof commercial and health interests have been strongest on threeissues: the ban on advertisement and sales promotion, the settingof upper limits for harmful substances in tobacco products,and proposals for an efprice policy. In the political processParliament has been much more sensitive to the public healthinterest and to public opinion than to the lobbying power ofthe tobacco industry and trade, which has been more clearlyvisible in many Government decisions. Evaluation of smokingpatterns indicates that there has been an historic reversalof trends in total consumption, but distributional data showa widening social gradient in smoking. Two developments areneeded for further improvement: a price policy that would supporthealth policy and not contradict it, and better understandingof the socio-cultural dynamics of smoking which would be requiredfor new innovative approaches in health education.