Physical and neurodevelopmental evaluation of children adopted from Eastern Europe.

Background: Children adopted from Eastern Europe are at risk of prenatal alcohol exposure, consequently at risk of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). To our knowledge, a systematic complete assessment of these disabilities among adoptees from Eastern Europe has not yet been reported.

Objective: To assess physical and neurodevelopmental status to identify FASD in children adopted from Eastern Europe.

Prevalence of positive tuberculin skin tests in foreign-born children.

Aims: To evaluate the prevalence of positive tuberculin skin tests (TST) in internationally adopted and immigrant children. To identify risk factors for positive TST in these populations.

Methods: The study was a retrospective medical record review in a tertiary care pediatric hospital.

Isoproterenol increases active lipoprotein lipase in adipocyte medium and in rat plasma.

White adipose tissue (WAT) lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity channels diet fat towards storage in adipocytes. Adrenaline (ADR) is accepted to reduce WAT or adipocyte LPL activity (LPLa), but available data are not clear-cut regarding long exposure to ADR in vitro or in vivo. We studied the effects of long exposures to ADR or beta-adrenergic agonist on LPL: in isolated rat adipocytes (3 h) and in rats (>1 day).

Inactive hepatic lipase in rat plasma.

Hepatic lipase activity is detectable in liver but also in adrenal glands, ovaries, and plasma. The subunit size of hepatic lipase in liver, adrenal glands, and nonheparin plasma was compared. Hepatic lipase in liver and adrenal glands appeared as a 55 kDa band.

Acute regulation of hepatic lipase secretion by rat hepatocytes.

Hepatic lipase is involved in cholesterol uptake by the liver. Although it is known that catecholamines are responsible for the daily variation of enzyme activity, the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. Rat hepatocytes incubated with adrenaline or other Ca(2+)-mobilizing hormones were used as an experimental model.