Living longer and better than expected. A wellness-based model keeps CCRC residents active, healthy, and out of nursing homes.

The McCauley, a continuing care retirement community in West Hartford, CT, promotes a wellness philosophy that helps its residents retain their health and independence and extend their lives. The wellness program centers around the individual, not around the services provided. The residents have significant input and initiative in maintaining their own health.

Epilepsy and employment, marital, education and social status.

Employment, marital, educational and social status in epileptic patients attending a seizure clinic were assessed. A total of 343 patients were evaluated. The social group, employment and marital status did not compare favourably with the overall population.

MR imaging appearance of intraperitoneal gelatin sponge in mice.

Intraperitoneal gelatin sponge can mimic a mass lesion on magnetic resonance (MR) images. To determine the MR imaging characteristics of gelatin sponge over time, a 15 x 10 x 4-mm piece of gelatin sponge soaked in saline was surgically implanted in the peritoneal cavity of 14 mice. Two mice underwent a sham operation.

Effects of intratracheal endotoxin administration on hamster lung glycosaminoglycans.

Incorporation of [3H]glucosamine and 35S into glycosaminoglycan (GAG) was measured in hamster lung explant cultures at 0, 1, 4, and 24 h after a single endotracheal instillation of Escherichia coli endotoxin. Lung content of GAG was measured in a second group of treated animals over an 8-day period. Albumin was detected after endotoxin treatment in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid at 24 h but was not found in lavage fluid 7 days later or in lavage fluid of saline-treated animals.

In vivo attenuation of endothelium-dependent pulmonary vasodilation by methylene blue.

In vitro evidence suggests that resting pulmonary vascular tone and endothelium-dependent pulmonary vasodilation are mediated by changes in vascular smooth muscle concentrations of guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP). We investigated this hypothesis in vivo in 19 mechanically ventilated intact lambs by determining the hemodynamic effects of methylene blue (a guanylate cyclase inhibitor) and then by comparing the hemodynamic response to five vasodilators during pulmonary hypertension induced by the infusion of U-46619 (a thromboxane A2 mimic) or methylene blue. Methylene blue caused a significant time-dependent increase in pulmonary arterial pressure.

Evidence for a contribution of paramagnetic ions to water proton spin-lattice relaxation in normal and malignant mouse tissues.

Paramagnetic ions complexed to proteins may lose, retain, or enhance solvent paramagnetic relaxation (SPR) relative to free solution. We measured T1 and T2 of three mouse cancers, their normal counterparts, and six additional tissues. Long T1 of cancers was not caused by necrosis or by different contents of water, fat, or blood.

Effects of vasoactive drugs on thromboxane A2 mimetic-induced pulmonary hypertension in newborn lambs.

Isoproterenol, dobutamine, dopamine, and nitroprusside are four vasoactive drugs used to decrease pulmonary arterial pressure and increase cardiac output in newborns, infants, and children with sepsis. Thromboxane A2 likely produces some of the hemodynamic changes in sepsis, and U46619, a thromboxane A2 mimetic, produces similar changes in lambs. We studied the hemodynamic effects of these four vasoactive drugs in 10 spontaneously breathing newborn lambs during an infusion of U46619.

Comparison of interspecific to intersubspecific backcrosses demonstrates species and sex differences in recombination frequency on mouse chromosome 16.

One hundred fourteen progeny from an interspecific backcross between laboratory mice and M. spretus were typed for six markers spanning most of mouse Chromosome (Chr) 16. Additional maps of 9-10 markers of this chromosome were derived from analysis of over 500 progeny from four backcrosses between inbred laboratory strains and members of the Mus musculus group, M.

Selective pulmonary vasodilation with ATP-MgCl2 during pulmonary hypertension in lambs.

We investigated the effects of infusions of ATP-MgCl2 on the circulation in 11 spontaneously breathing newborn lambs during pulmonary hypertension induced either by the infusion of U-46619, a thromboxane A2 mimetic, or by hypoxia. During pulmonary hypertension induced by U-46619, ATP-MgCl2 (0.01-1.

Antigen processing by epidermal Langerhans cells correlates with the level of biosynthesis of major histocompatibility complex class II molecules and expression of invariant chain.

Two prior studies with a small number of T cell lines have shown that the presentation of native protein antigens by epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) is regulated. When freshly isolated, LC are efficient antigen-presenting cells (APC), but after a period of culture LC are inefficient or even inactive. The deficit in culture seems to be a selective loss in antigen processing, since cultured LC are otherwise rich in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II products and are active APC for alloantigens and mitogens, which do not require processing.

Use of the fluorescence activated cell sorter to enrich dendritic cells from mouse spleen.

Dendritic cells are a specialized but trace population of antigen presenting cells that always have been enriched by multi-step procedures over a period of 1 or more days in tissue culture. Here we describe the isolation of dendritic cells from fresh mouse spleen suspensions using the FACS and a monoclonal antibody, N418, to the p150/90 member of the leukocyte integrin family (Metlay et al., 1990).

Sex, strain, and species differences affect recombination across an evolutionarily conserved segment of mouse chromosome 16.

A region of substantial genetic homology exists between human chromosome 21 (HSA21) and mouse chromosome 16 (MMU16). Analysis of 520 backcross animals has been used to establish gene order in the homologous segment. D21S16h and Mx are shown to represent the known proximal and distal limits of homology between the chromosomes, while Gap43, whose human homolog is on HSA3, is the next proximal marker on MMU16 that has been mapped in the human genome.

Dendritic cells pulsed with protein antigens in vitro can prime antigen-specific, MHC-restricted T cells in situ.

T cells recognize peptides that are bound to MHC molecules on the surface of different types of antigen-presenting cells (APC). Antigen presentation most often is studied using T cells that have undergone priming in situ, or cell lines that have been chronically stimulated in vitro. The use of primed cells provides sufficient numbers of antigen-reactive lymphocytes for experimental study.

Dendritic cells are the principal cells in mouse spleen bearing immunogenic fragments of foreign proteins.

We monitored the APC function of cells taken from the spleen and peritoneal cavity of mice that had been given protein antigens via the intravenous or intraperitoneal routes. Using the mAb 33D1 and N418 to negatively and positively select dendritic cells, we obtained evidence that dendritic cells are the main cell type in spleen that carries the protein in a form that is immunogenic for antigen-specific T cells. In vivo pulsed macrophages were not immunogenic and did not appear capable of transferring peptide fragments to dendritic cells.

Comparative behavioral, neurochemical and pharmacological activities of dihydropyridine calcium channel activating drugs.

The behavioral (deficits in motor function in mice), neurochemical (affinity for mouse brain membrane dihydropyridine receptors, effects on neurotransmitter/metabolite levels in mice) and pharmacologic (effect on the contractile activity of guinea pig ileal longitudinal smooth muscle) properties of the calcium channel activators (+/-)-BAY K 8644, (+/-)-202-791 (and their corresponding channel activating and antagonist enantiomers) and CGP-28392 were investigated and compared. The calcium channel activating enantiomers (-)-S-BAY K 8644, (+)-S-202-791 and (+/-)-BAY K 8644, (+/-)-202-791 and CGP-28392 produced a dose-dependent impairment of rotarod ability and decreases in motor activity in mice with the following order of potency: (-)-S-BAY K 8644 greater than (+/-)-BAY K 8644 much greater than (+)-S-202-791 greater than (+/-)-202-791 = CGP-28392. The calcium channel antagonists (+)-R-BAY K 8644 and (-)-R-202-791 were behaviorally inactive but blocked the behavioral effects of (-)-S-BAY K 8644.

The distinct leukocyte integrins of mouse spleen dendritic cells as identified with new hamster monoclonal antibodies.

Hybridoma fusions with hamster hosts were undertaken to generate mAbs to mouse spleen dendritic cells. Two mAb were obtained and used to uncover the distinct integrins of these APC. One, 2E6, bound a determinant common to all members of the CD11/CD18 family, most likely the shared 90 kD CD18 beta chain.

The surface of dendritic cells in the mouse as studied with monoclonal antibodies.

A family of dendritic cells has been identified in situ and in vitro by microscopy and immunolabeling. The members of this family include the dendritic cells isolated from lymphoid organs, Langerhans cells [LC] of the epidermis, veiled cells in afferent lymph, and interdigitating cells [IDC] in the T-cell areas. Some common features to all members of the family are high levels of MHC class II antigens, a lack of most B and T cell markers, and an absence or low levels of macrophage/granulocyte antigens.

Dendritic cells as antigen presenting cells in vivo.

The biology of antigen presenting cells (APC) traditionally is studied in tissue culture systems using T cells that have been expanded beforehand by stimulation with antigen. Here we consider the distinctive roles of dendritic cells for sensitizing or priming T cells both in vitro and in vivo. Several functions of dendritic cells have been identified in tissue culture that are pertinent to T cell sensitization.

Bone and soft-tissue lesions: diagnosis with combined H-1 MR imaging and P-31 MR spectroscopy.

The feasibility of combined magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and surface coil phosphorus-31 MR spectroscopy at 1.5 T was examined in a clinical study of 34 patients before biopsy of bone or soft-tissue lesions of the extremity and trunk. The results confirmed the inability of MR imaging alone to distinguish most benign lesions from malignant ones.

The mouse neurological mutant weaver maps within the region of chromosome 16 that is homologous to human chromosome 21.

Utilizing the backcross C57BL/6 wv/wv x (C57BL/6 wv/wv x MOLD/Rk), the mouse neurological mutation weaver (wv) was mapped less than 1 cM proximal to Ets-2 and Mx on mouse chromosome 16 (0.96 +/- 0.1% recombination).