The ESCRT-III Protein Regulates Lipid Storage in the Fat Body.

Defects in how excess nutrients are stored as triglycerides can result in several diseases including obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Understanding the genes responsible for normal lipid homeostasis will help understand the pathogenesis of these diseases. RNAi screens performed in cells identified genes involved in vesicle formation and protein sorting as important for the formation of lipid droplets; however, all of the vesicular trafficking proteins that regulate lipid storage are unknown.

The regulation of triglyceride storage by ornithine decarboxylase (Odc1) in Drosophila.

Polyamines are low molecular weight, organic cations that play a critical role in many major cellular processes including cell cycle regulation and apoptosis, cellular division, tissue proliferation, and cellular differentiation; however, the functions of polyamines in regulating the storage of metabolic fuels such as triglycerides and glycogen is poorly understood. To address this question, we focused on the Drosophila homolog of ornithine decarboxylase (Odc1), the first rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of polyamines. Mutants in Odc1 are lethal, but heterozygotes were viable to adulthood.

Prognostic significance of superficial fissuring ulceration in patients with severe "indeterminate" colitis.

Some colectomy specimens from patients with severe colitis contain superficial fissuring-type ulcers but do not have any other features of Crohn's disease (CD). This finding may cause difficulty with regard to distinguishing ulcerative colitis (UC) from CD and, thus, lead to a diagnosis of "indeterminate" colitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and pathologic features, and outcome, of a cohort of patients with colitis and superficial fissuring ulcers, but without any other features that may suggest a diagnosis of CD.

NF-kappaB activation precedes increases in mRNA encoding neurokinin-1 receptor, proinflammatory cytokines, and adhesion molecules in dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in rats.

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) plays a key role in initiating inflammation associated with colitis. A systematic study was conducted in the rat DSS colitis model to determine the temporal relationship between NF-kappa B activation and expression of substance P (SP), neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R), proinflammatory cytokines, and adhesion molecules. Rats were given 5% DSS in their water and sacrificed daily for 6 days.

Histologic predictors of pouchitis in patients with chronic ulcerative colitis.

Inflammation of ileal reservoir mucosa ("pouchitis") is a common sequelae in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients who have had a colectomy with ileal pouch anal-anastomosis (IPAA). Although several clinical, genetic, and laboratory parameters have been evaluated, reliable pathologic predictors for the development of pouchitis are lacking. The purpose of this case-control study was to determine whether there are any pathologic features in UC colectomy specimens that may help predict the subsequent development of pouchitis after an IPAA procedure.

A neurokinin 1 receptor antagonist decreases postoperative peritoneal adhesion formation and increases peritoneal fibrinolytic activity.

Fibrous adhesions remain a major sequela of abdominal surgery. The proinflammatory peptide substance P (SP), known to participate in inflammatory events, may play a key role in adhesion formation. This hypothesis was tested by using an antagonist, CJ-12,255 (Pfizer), that blocks the binding of SP to the neurokinin 1 receptor (NK-1R).

A neurokinin 1 receptor antagonist reduces an ongoing ileal pouch inflammation and the response to a subsequent inflammatory stimulus.

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is an excellent surgical option for patients with chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC) requiring colectomy; however, persistent episodes of ileal pouch inflammation, or pouchitis, may result in debilitating postoperative complications. Because considerable evidence implicates substance P (SP) as an inflammatory mediator of CUC, we investigated whether SP participates in the pathophysiology of pouchitis. With the use of a rat model of IPAA that we developed, we showed that ileal pouch MPO levels and neurokinin 1 receptor (NK-1R) protein expression by Western blot analysis were significantly elevated 28 days after IPAA surgery.

Vertebroplasty in focal Paget disease of the spine. Case report.

Paget disease is an idiopathic metabolic disease of bone that may involve the axial and appendicular skeleton. In up to one third of patients there may be pagetoid involvement of the spine, which can cause back pain and vertebral collapse, with instability or myeloradiculopathy. Although medical therapy is the mainstay of treatment, decompressive surgery or stabilization may be required.

Colonic metaplasia in the ileal pouch is associated with inflammation and is not the result of long-term adaptation.

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is the preferred surgical therapy for chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Previous studies have demonstrated morphologic changes in pouch mucosa such as villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia. These changes have been labeled "colonic metaplasia.

Neurokinin-1 receptor and substance P messenger RNA levels increase during intraabdominal adhesion formation.

Background: Intraabdominal peritoneal adhesions are a significant cause of postoperative morbidity and remain one of the major long-term complications associated with abdominal surgery. Adhesion formation at the molecular level involves a complex interaction of cytokines, growth factors, cell adhesion molecules, and neuropeptides, as well as many other factors secreted by cells proximate to the traumatized area. Limited studies exist which investigate the molecular processes involved in adhesion formation.

Diagnosis and treatment of complicated tubercular meningitis.

A 41-year-old woman was seen in no acute distress with an infected ventriculoperitoneal shunt. She underwent several revisions of the shunt but was readmitted to the hospital with nausea, vomiting, and neurologic sequelae. Results of spinal fluid analysis were white blood cells 68/mm3 (25% neutrophils), glucose less than 20 mg/dl, and protein 513 mg/dl.

Severe head trauma. Review of the factors influencing the prognosis.

A series of 72 severely head injured patients are reported, 24 (33%) with surgical intracranial hematomas. All patients were intensively cared for under the same therapeutic regime; intracranial pressure (ICP) was monitored and treated if increased. The series mortality was 39%.

Islet hormone secretion in pancreatic cancer patients with diabetes.

The diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance that occurs in most patients with pancreatic cancer is characterized by profound insulin resistance. Recent evidence suggests that the diabetes may result from the presence of the tumor rather than being a predisposing factor to development of the malignancy. Some islet hormones have been shown to exhibit diabetogenic effects.

Humoral immunity to Malassezia furfur serovars A, B and C in patients with pityriasis versicolor, seborrheic dermatitis and controls.

This study examined the humoral immune responses to Malassezia furfur serovars A, B and C of 10 patients with pityriasis versicolor, 10 patients with seborrheic dermatitis and 20 age- and sex-matched controls. A transferable solid-phase ELISA was used to determine titres of total Igs, IgM, IgA and IgG specific to M. furfur serovars A, B and C.

Is profound peripheral insulin resistance in patients with pancreatic cancer caused by a tumor-associated factor?

Diabetes in patients with pancreatic cancer occurs in 70% to 80% of the patients and is characterized by high plasma levels of insulin. In type II diabetes that is not associated with pancreatic cancer, peripheral insulin resistance and impaired muscle glycogen synthesis are major pathogenic factors. We investigated peripheral insulin sensitivity in patients with pancreatic cancer before and after tumor removal.

Application of positron emission tomography to neurological oncology.

PET has a promising role in neuroradiology for accurate diagnosis and prognostication of malignant tumors as well as differential diagnosis of radiation necrosis and recurrent tumors. Particularly, PET has proven its ability to accurately differentiate radiation necrosis from recurrent brain tumor. Active tumors have accelerated glycolysis, and a remarkable accumulation of FDG radiotracer in high grade brain tumors is evident on PET images.

Intracranial monitoring in patients with head trauma.

The treatment of head-injured patients has over the past 15 years become significantly more complex and involved. The rising interest in the treatment of these patients has been driven in large part by the growing body of evidence showing that there is a definite association between elevated ICP and increased mortality and long-term morbidity. The effective treatment of intracranial hypertension with hyperventilation, osmotic agents, and barbiturate therapy has been aided by the regular use of ICP monitoring in most neurosurgical centers.

Technical application of stereotactic irradiation in malignant brain tumors.

This study reports the technical application of stereotactic interstitial brachytherapy for malignant gliomas in two groups of patients. Group I consisted of 2 patients who had undergone previous debulking brain surgery; group II were 3 patients who were not candidates for craniotomy because their tumors were surgically inaccessible. The stereotactic implantation technique in group I was somewhat complicated due to the irregular shape of the residual tumor masses.

Role of routine emergency cervical radiography in head trauma.

This review of 406 patients with head injury examines the role of emergency cervical radiography in head trauma and the frequency of associated cervical spine injury. Of 293 patients who had emergency cervical radiography (72 percent), 8 showed some abnormality, but only 5 (1.2 percent) were significant for cervical spine injury.

Caloric requirements in patients with severe head injuries.

Indirect calorimetry was performed on 15 nonsteroid-treated, head-injured patients over 16 postinjury days. A search was made for a clinical marker that could be used to predict the caloric requirement in individual head-injured patients. Of all parameters reviewed, only motor activity correlated with the caloric needs of the patients (P less than 0.

Interhemispheric subdural hematoma. Case report.

A case of interhemispheric subdural hematoma ( ISH ) is presented and discussed. This disorder is a rare form of intracranial hemorrhage, which classically presents as an isolated paresis of one leg or a hemiparesis worse in the leg than the arm. The majority of cases are due to occipital trauma because of the anatomy of the bridging veins.

Wallenberg's syndrome caused by direct brainstem injury.

A unique case of a shotgun wound producing a lateral medullary syndrome is reported. Evidence indicating direct brainstem injury and not vascular injury is presented. The long-term complications of this type of injury are stressed.