Prenatal diagnosis by isoenzymic differentiation of Treacher Collins' syndrome induced by retinoids in rats

A series of branchial arch malformations was induced in 618 embryos from 72 pregnant rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg etretinate at 8.5 days of gestation. The litters developed several malformations, including microtia, low set and dorsally placed outer ears, defective middle ear ossicles, short cochleas, defectively differentiated Meckel's cartilages, micrognathia, rudimentary malar bones, lateral facial clefts, fistulas and skin tags, all of which were similar to Treacher Collins' syndrome in man. The defects were accompanied by a pathological differentiation pattern of various isoenzymes in maxillary and mandibular processes. These isoenzymes could be detected in amniotic fluid from the 9th to the 20th days of pregnancy and showed a pathological differentiation pattern here as well. We conclude that a teratogenically induced syndrome affecting the first and second branchial arches is accompanied by a pathological differentiation pattern that can be traced by determinations of isoenzymes in the branchial arches as well as in amniotic fluid.     

Knee arthroscopy and arthrotomy under local anesthesia

We report our experience with knee arthroscopy in local anesthesia in 64 patients with subsequent arthrotomy in 14 of these. The effectiveness of the anesthetic method was evaluated by both the patient and the anesthetic personnel. There was no difference in pain assessment between arthroscopy alone and arthroscopy followed by arthrotomy. Half of the patients had no pain and only one regarded the procedure as very painful. Supplementary analgesia with 0.05 mg fentanyl was given to half of the patients not undergoing arthrotomy and to two thirds of those who had arthrotomy. It was not necessary to abandon any arthroscopic or surgical procedure because of pain. We conclude that local anesthesia is a safe and practical method for diagnostic arthroscopy, arthroscopic surgery, and minor arthrotomy.     

Continuous recording of urethral activity in healthy female volunteers

The pressure variations at the maximal urethral closure pressure (MUCP) were continuously recorded in healthy female volunteers by means of a two-point microtip transducer catheter for one hour. Before the investigation a normal voiding was assured objectively and bladder instability was excluded. All women showed pressure variations both at the MUCP and more distally. The pressure variations, from 3 to 66 cm H₂O, showed rhythmicity and three frequency ranges could be identified. Slow pressure waves with a frequency of one in eight to 19 minutes were observed. Relatively fast-pressure waves were observed (one every one to four minutes) and relatively fast-frequency pressure waves were observed (rate: one to eight per minute). The pressure variations of the urethra seem to be an aspect of normal urethral physiology possibly contributing to continence and urinary tract infection prevention.     

Studies on the actions of glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, and mixtures of glutaraldehyde and formaldehyde on tissue proteins

The effects of aldehyde fixation on tissue proteins was studied using SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Fixation with low concentrations of formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde had only a slight effect on the protein banding pattern. On the other hand, most of the original protein bands were absent after a short treatment with mixtures of formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde. Spectral absorption measurements showed a stronger absorption at both gamma = 280 nm and gamma = 235 nm with the glutaraldehyde-formaldehyde mixture than with glutaraldehyde alone.     

Local variations in the cerebral microcirculatory response to hypercapnia and haemorrhage

Summary This study evaluates local variations of the cerebral vasomotor responses to hypercapnia and haemorrhagic hypotension in a pig model. Four laser Doppler flow probes were used in each pig. There was considerable variation in laser Doppler signals between the four probes in baseline recordings. The increases in flow after CO₂ administration in 7 pigs had a mean coefficient of variation of 0.43 ± 0.31, and the flow changes after blood loss in another 7 pigs had a mean coefficient of variation of 0.45 ± 0.34. The range of flow changes within each animal was large; the probe with the highest CO₂ response showed on the average a 273% ± 157% larger CO₂ response than the probe with the lowest CO₂ response. Correspondingly, the probe with the best preserved blood flow after blood loss had on the average a flow value of 93% ± 12% of the baseline value, while the probe that changed most with haemorrhage had a flow value of 44% ± 24% of the baseline value. Single laser Doppler recordings have been used for the monitoring of cerebral blood flow in neurosurgical critical care, but our results suggest that a single laser Doppler flow probe is not an adequate method to monitor vasoreactivity in neurosurgical patients because flow signals from one probe may be unrepresentative for other sites in the brain.     

The relationship between revascularisation and osteogenesis in fresh or demineralised bone grafts

Bone formation generally depends on adequate blood flow. Failure of bone grafts has been attributed to delayed revascularisation of the graft. We compared the relationship between revascularisation and osteogenesis, evaluated as entrapment of (141)Ce-labelled microspheres and uptake of (85)Sr, respectively, in fresh or demineralised syngeneic bone grafts 3 weeks after heterotopic implantation in rats. Whereas a moderately high linear correlation between (85)Sr and (141)Ce radioactivity was found both in the (intact) host iliac bone (r = 0.75, p = 0.0001) and implanted fresh syngeneic grafts (r = 0.50, p = 0.001), no correlation could be demonstrated in demineralised grafts (r = 0.09, p = 0.6). The results may indicate differences in the mechanisms of vascularisation and osteogenesis in the grafts used fresh or after demineralization but are, at present, difficult to fully explain.     

Patient and partner satisfaction with the Mentor Alpha-1 inflatable penile prosthesis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the satisfaction level of patients and partners after implantation of a Mentor Alpha-1 inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to 46 patients who had been operated on for ED with implantation of a Mentor Alpha-1 IPP. The investigation was designed to evaluate patient and partner satisfaction. RESULTS: Eighty-five percent of the questionnaires were returned. Sexual desire had not changed but the quality of sexual activity had significantly improved. Acceptance by the partner was good. Overall satisfaction among both patients and partners was high. In total, 95% of patients said that they would recommend the procedure to other patients in the same situation. CONCLUSIONS: Patient and partner satisfaction with the Mentor Alpha-1 IPP was high, with the exception of the minority of patients who experienced unacceptable complications. Infection and mechanical failure are important risks which patients should be informed of before agreeing to implantation surgery.     

Comparison of the binding properties of the mushroom Marasmius oreades lectin and Griffonia simplicifolia I-B isolectin to alphagalactosyl carbohydrate antigens in the surface phase

The binding of two alpha-galactophilic lectins, Marasmius oreades agglutinin (MOA), and Griffonia simplicifolia I isolectin B(4) (GS I-B(4)) to neoglycoproteins and natural glycoproteins were compared in a surface phase assay. Neoglycoproteins carrying various alpha-galactosylated glycans and laminin from basement membrane of mouse sarcoma that contains the xenogenic Galalpha1-3Gal1-4GlcNAc epitope were immobilized in microtiter plate wells and lectin binding determined with an enzyme-linked assay. After 24 h of incubation, MOA had higher affinity for the xenogenic pentasaccharide (Galalpha1-3Gal1-4GlcNAcbeta1-3Galbeta1-4Glc) than for the Galalpha-monosaccharide. The binding properties of MOA and GS I-B(4) to the xenogenic disaccharide (Galalpha1-3Galbeta1) were comparable while the binding of MOA to the xenogenic pentasaccharide was much stronger than the binding of GS I-B(4) to the same epitope. Non-xenogenic disaccharide-coupled neoglycoproteins having galactose end groups linked alpha1-2 or alpha1-4 to Gal or linked alpha1-3 to GalNAc bound very weakly to MOA, whereas GS I-B(4) recognized all of these disaccharides with similarly high affinity. MOA also showed high affinity for laminin. The results indicate that the Marasmius oreades lectin has nearly the same affinities as does GS I-B(4) for the simple xenogenic carbohydrate antigens, but MOA has greater affinity for the pentasaccharide and is far more specific in its binding preferences than the Griffonia lectin.