Relationships Between Arousal-Related Moods and Episodic Tension-Type Headache: A Biopsychological Study

An exploratory study was conducted examining arousal-related moods and episodic tension-type headache. Twelve subjects meeting International Headache Society criteria for episodic tension-type headache and 12 headache-free controls recorded headache activity and mood eight times daily for 14 consecutive days. Moods were measured using the Activation-Deactivation Adjective Check List, a self-report list that subjectively represents general arousal along two dimensions of Tension and Energy. Headache subjects had higher Tension levels than controls even in the absence of pain, and greater variation in this dimension as well. Within the headache group, Tension during pain-free periods was significantly lower than when experiencing headache, and was correlated with headache activity. The results were taken to support Thayer's (1989) biopsychological model of mood and arousal, and are discussed in terms of the model's heuristic value for general arousal and headache research.     

Measurements of Blood Pressure, Oedema and Proteinuria in a Pregnant Population of New Zealand

Summary: This is the first report of the largest study of blood pressure measurement in pregnancy in a New Zealand population using standardized definitions and methodology. Over 3,800 women who delivered in an 8-month period in the Wellington region were included in the study. Blood pressure measurement and the presence of oedema and proteinuria were recorded from booking until delivery and in the puerperium. Only 2.7% of women were unable to be contacted after delivery for details on outcomes. The results established normal ranges for blood pressure throughout pregnancy. The data show that Mood pressure greater than 140/90 until 35 weeks' gestation is outside 2 standard deviations at all gestations and justifies using these measurements as the definition of hypertension in pregnancy. The fall in blood pressure in the 2nd trimester was less than 1 mm Ffg per week in both the systolic and diastolic pressures. This fall was smaller than previously recorded in other studies. Gestational hypertension was the commonest blood pressure abnormality occurring in 15.2% of the population. This represented 69% of the pregnant women with a hypertensive disorder. The overall incidence of both gestational hypertension and preeclampsia was 18.5% which is higher than reported in other parts of the world. In this study obesity was significantly associated with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. An arm circumference of >33 cm, one of the measurements of obesity, was found in 6.8% of the study population. Even after the effect of arm circumference was taken into account, hypertensive disorders were also more common in Pacific Island women. Ankle oedema was significantly associated with the development of both gestational hypertension and preeclampsia but the incidence of oedema was noted in only 11.9% of the subjects.     

Missense mutations in codon 225 of ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) result in decreased amounts of OTC protein: A hypothesis on the molecular mechanism of the OTC deficiency

Mutations P225L and P225R were identified in codon 225 of the gene for ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) in two patients with the neonatal form of OTC deficiency. The mutations occur at a CpG dinucleotide and eliminate a unique MspI restriction site in exon 7 of the OTC gene. They do not alter existing splice sites or create new sites, as judged from the nucleotide sequence. Both mutations are associated with undetectable levels of OTC antigen in liver homogenates, and with either complete lack of OTC activity (P225R mutation) or very small residual activity (0.15% of normal in the P225L mutation). The residual activity observed with P225L exhibits normal pH dependence, little or no increases in the Km values for ornithine and carbamoyl phosphate and normal stability at either 37°C or, in the presence of 0.66 mol/L urea, at 0°C. The latter conditions were used to examine whether the P225L mutation favours dissociation of the active OTC trimer. Given the normal stability and lack of tendency to dissociation of the mutant enzyme, it appears likely that the dramatic reduction in the level of OTC protein is due to inefficient conversion of the mutant OTC precursor polypeptide (pOTC) into the correctly localized, appropriately folded, mature enzyme trimer, suggesting degradation of pOTC in transit to the mitochondria.     

An experimental collagen-impregnated dacron graft: Potential for endothelial seeding

This study evaluates the potential for endothelial seeding of a collagen-impregnated Dacron graft with or without surface modifiers (fibronectin, heparin) to attach and retain these cells during flow. Human umbilical endothelial cells were harvested, cultured, labeled with Indium111-oxine and seeded onto 30 mm X 4 mm diameter grafts. Six graft surfaces were studied: 1) a collagen-impregnated Dacron graft, HemashieldR (C); 2) C + fibronectin (C + F); 3) C + heparin (C + H); 4) C + F + H; 5) HytrelR + F (Hyt + F); and 6) Hyt + F + H. Radioactive loss determined the percentage attachment and then percentage retention of labeled inoculum after a one-hour in vitro perfusion. Scanning electron and light microscopy demonstrated the endothelium on the graft surface following perfusion. Fibronectin-coated grafts had a significantly higher percentage attachment than those without fibronectin (ANOVA, P less than 0.05). However, the percentage retention following perfusion was similar for all Dacron grafts and statistically inferior to the HytrelR grafts studied (ANOVA, P less than 0.05). SEM evaluation of the C + F + H graft surface was qualitatively the most impressive Dacron surface for seeding, yet was inferior to the HytrelR graft. We conclude that fibronectin benefits the initial attachment of endothelium to collagen-coated Dacron rivaling the HytrelR surface. Fibronectin does not improve percentage retention of the HemashieldR surface during perfusion, therefore, some of its initial benefit is lost.     

Youth Tobacco Access and Possession Policy Interventions: Effects on Observed and Perceived Tobacco Use

This study evaluated the effects of tobacco Purchase, Use and Possession (PUP) laws on student perceptions of adolescent tobacco use within towns and schools. Twenty‐four towns were randomly assigned into two conditions, the experimental condition (E PUP) involved efforts to increase both PUP law enforcement and reduce minors' access to commercial sources of tobacco, whereas the control condition (C) focused only on efforts to reduce minors' access to commercial sources of tobacco. A hierarchical linear modeling analytical approach was selected due to the multilevel data and nested design. The present study found that over time, youth in the experimental PUP condition observed less youth tobacco usage at school and in their town, and perceived lower rates of tobacco among their peers at school and among friends than youth in the control condition. The findings suggest that PUP law enforcement might be used to strengthen community norms against youth tobacco use.     

Role of pylorus in mediating cholecystokinin-stimulated satiety in the Zucker rat

Obese Zucker rats are less responsive than their lean littermates to the effects of cholecystokinin-octapeptide on satiety and pancreatic growth and exocrine function. We hypothesized that the hyperphagia observed in obese Zucker rats may be caused by a decreased pyloric contractile response to cholecystokinin, resulting in an increased rate of gastric emptying, decreased postprandial gastric distention, and thus decreased satiety. Pyloric muscle strips from six obese Zucker rats and six lean littermates were mounted in separate tissue baths and isometric contraction was measured in response to acetylcholine and cholecystokinin-octapeptide. The dose-response curves for acetylcholine-and cholecystokinin-octapeptide-stimulated pyloric muscle contraction were similar for both the obese and the lean rats. (For cholecystokinin, D₅₀ obese=4.0±0.6 nM, D₅₀ lean=3.4±0.2 nM;P=0.16). We conclude that the decreased satiety response to cholecystokinin-octapeptide observed in obese Zucker rats is not secondary to a decreased pyloric responsiveness to cholecystokinin.This work was supported by NIH grant AM28303-03.