Metallothionein in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord, brainstem and motor cortex. Ten percent of the cases are familial and these have been linked to point mutations in the gene coding for cytosolic copper, zinc superoxide dismutase. The etiology of sporadic ALS is unknown.

Attention demands in balance recovery following lower limb amputation.

The attention demands in balance control after damage to the peripheral sensorimotor system were studied in 12 persons with a recent lower limb amputation. The interference of an arithmetic task with two postural tasks of different complexity (quiet standing and active weight shifting) was examined several times during their rehabilitation while the subjects stood on a force platform. Control data were obtained from healthy subjects.

Stanmore total hip replacement. A 15- to 16-year clinical and radiographic follow-up.

In 1988 we reported a ten-year review of 83 surviving patients from a group of 135 (146 prostheses) who had undergone primary hip replacement using the Stanmore prosthesis. We have now reviewed 44 of these patients at 15 to 16 years. Four patients had undergone revision, but the other 40 were all satisfied with the result of their hip replacement, 36 having little or no pain.

Intrasubject variability of selected force-platform parameters in the quantification of postural control.

Platform stabilometry is increasingly applied to monitor or re-educate standing balance in clinical rehabilitation. Consequently, insight is needed into the validity, reliability, and sensitivity of different force-platform parameters. This study focuses on the intrasubject variability as the major source of variance (unreliability) in the study of human motor skills.

Effect of zinc therapy on natural killer cell activity in inflammatory bowel disease.

Disturbances in zinc metabolism have been documented in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. In this study we evaluated the effect of in vivo treatment with zinc on the in vitro natural killer cell activity in thirteen inflammatory bowel disease patients, with stable disease and mild-moderate disease activity, in a double-blind randomized cross-over trial. The results of our study show a long-lasting effect of in vivo zinc administration, which decreased peripheral blood natural killer cell activity in inflammatory bowel disease.

Recovery of motor skill following nervous system disorders: a behavioural emphasis.

Recovery of motor behaviour is, for a large part, the complex reintegration of sensory processes and motor output against the background of a decreasing cognitive involvement. Therefore, the measurement of motor output under simple and unperturbed conditions, isolated from these processes, reflects only a minor part of the recovery of skill. It is argued that there is an urgent need for procedures aimed at the objective study of behavioural recovery across time.

Metallothionein concentration in the liver of patients with Wilson's disease, primary biliary cirrhosis, and liver metastasis of colorectal cancer.

In patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and Wilson's disease liver copper concentrations become elevated during the evolution of the disorder. The accumulated copper is thought to be detoxified by metallothionein, a protein which binds copper and zinc. In liver metastasis of colorectal cancer, copper and zinc concentrations are usually decreased compared to normal liver tissue, but little is known about the concomitant metallothionein levels.

Pemphigus vegetans in a child.

Pemphigus vegetans was diagnosed in a 12-year-old boy based on clinical, histopathological and immunohistological findings. To our knowledge, this is the first case of juvenile pemphigus vegetans to be published in the literature. Suggested treatment with prednisone and azathioprine was refused, and the patient was treated with a decoction of herbs prescribed by a practitioner of traditional Chinese herbal medicine.

Postural organization in patients with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy.

The postural organization in patients with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN) type I or II was studied clinically by means of a force platform. Balance was registered in 14 barefooted HMSN patients and healthy matched control subjects during quiet stance. The effect of visual deprivation was tested to determine the degree of visual dependency.

Postural reorganization following lower limb amputation. Possible motor and sensory determinants of recovery.

Postural control was assessed in persons with a unilateral lower limb amputation before and after their rehabilitation. The centre-of-pressure fluctuations during quiet upright standing on a dual-plate force platform were registered with and without visual information in order to identify relevant determinants of balance restoration. In addition, static (weight distribution) as well as dynamic (control activity) asymmetry characteristics were examined.

Plasma metallothionein concentration in patients with liver disorders: special emphasis on the relation with primary biliary cirrhosis.

The plasma metallothionein concentration was evaluated in healthy subjects and in patients with several types of liver disorders. Plasma metallothionein concentrations in controls varied between 2.4 and 4.

Dual-task assessment of reorganization of postural control in persons with lower limb amputation.

Postural control in persons with lower limb amputation was studied using a cognitive approach to motor learning. The aim of this study was to show that an important characteristic of the central reorganization process after a lower limb amputation is the gradually decreasing need of attentional resources to perform a motor task. A dual-task procedure was developed to estimate the level of automaticity of a quiet, upright standing task.

Slowness of information processing after traumatic head injury.

One of the main aftereffects of traumatic head injury is slowness of information processing. In the present study, it was hypothesized that an important causal mechanism is a problem in the activation of information stored in memory; this is thought to be due to a reduced redundancy of these representations. An experimental drawing task was employed in which the degree of familiarity and motor complexity of the items was varied.

Decrease in two intestinal copper/zinc containing proteins with antioxidant function in inflammatory bowel disease.

Oxygen derived radicals contribute to tissue injury in inflammatory bowel disease. We measured the content of superoxide dismutase and metallothionein (two endogenous copper and zinc containing proteins involved in radical scavenging) in intestinal resection specimens from 29 patients with Crohn's disease and 12 patients with ulcerative colitis and compared the concentrations with those obtained in the normal mucosa of a control group of 18 patients with colorectal cancer. The superoxide dismutase content was similar in control mucosa and non-inflamed mucosa from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (mean (SEM) 2.

A process-oriented model of human motor behavior: toward a theory-based rehabilitation approach.

The purpose of this article is to present a behavioral model of human motor acts that may have relevance for therapeutic procedures aimed at the restoration of motor function after neurological or orthopedic problems. A key point of this model is that motor behavior is the result of an integrated and adaptive biological system. Cognitive, perceptual, and motor mechanisms are not independent elements, but are viewed as inseparable parts of this functional system.

Reactive oxygen metabolites and colitis: a disturbed balance between damage and protection. A selective review.

Enhanced local production of reactive oxygen metabolites has been found in association with colitis, both experimentally and in humans. Cellular and biochemical systems involved have been identified, and 5-aminosalicylic acid-containing drugs but, more effectively, specific scavengers have been found to reduce the intestinal inflammatory process. The multitude of reactions in which oxygen metabolites participate provides a new area of research in intestinal inflammation.

Isolation, characterization, and determination of human liver (copper/zinc) metallothionein.

A copper-containing protein was purified from the liver of a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis by a combination of gel filtration and anion exchange chromatography. This copper-protein had UV absorption and emission spectra, an amino acid composition, and a molecular mass which were characteristic for metallothionein (MT). From 8 livers (3 control, 1 fetal and 4 primary biliary cirrhosis) MT was extracted with non-reducing buffer and centrifuged, and pellets were re-extracted with a 1% 2-mercaptoethanol-containing buffer.

Development of a radioimmunoassay for human metallothionein.

We report the development of a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for human metallothionein (MT). The MT was isolated from the liver of a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis and used to raise high titer antibodies in rabbits. The RIA was developed using Bolton-Hunter labeled MT as label and purified MT as standard.

Neoplasia-related changes of two copper (Cu)/zinc (Zn) proteins in the human colon.

Cu/Zn-containing proteins have recently become of interest with regard to their relation with malignant disorders. Cu Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) was found increased in chemically induced tumors of the large bowel whereas metallothionein (MT), containing Zn and some Cu, was shown important for the response of tumors to chemotherapy. In the present study, we evaluated the Cu/Zn-SOD and MT content of normal human colonic mucosa and colorectal carcinomas, obtained from 20 resection specimens, and of 47 adenomatous polyps.

The phantom phenomenon: a critical review.

Although phantom sensations and phantom pain are quite common sequelae of amputation and other related surgical procedures, these phenomena are not well understood. There are many, often conflicting theories which attempt to explain their nature and causes, and to provide a foundation for more effective treatment. This paper reviews recent literature on this topic.

Synthesis and pharmacology of trans-4-n-propyl-3,4,4a,10b-tetrahydro-2H,5H-1-benzopyrano[4,3-b ]-1,4-oxazin-7- and -9-ols: the significance of nitrogen pKa values for central dopamine receptor activation.

The 6-oxa analogues of potent dopamine agonists, hexahydronaphthoxazines (4a,4b), have been tested for dopamine receptor binding and stimulating activity and were found to be almost inactive. pKa value determinations indicated that these compounds are protonated to approximately 2%, while potent compounds are protonated to a much greater extent. These results strongly support the assumption that the protonated form of DA agonists is the active species at the receptor.

Stanmore total hip replacement. A nine- to ten-year follow-up.

Between February 1975 and August 1976, 195 total hip replacements using Stanmore components were performed; of these, 146 were in 135 patients who had not had previous hip surgery. At review 52 had died, but none of the others was lost to follow-up. Of the 52, two had had a second operation, one for infection and one for recurrent dislocation.

Further in vitro and in vivo studies with the putative presynaptic dopamine agonist N,N-dipropyl-7-hydroxy-2-aminotetralin.

The in vitro binding of the putative dopamine autoreceptor agonist [3H]DP-7-ATN to rat striatal membrane homogenates was investigated. The maximum number of binding sites Bmax was 497.5 +/- 50.

EMG feedback and the restoration of motor control. A controlled group study of 12 hemiparetic patients.

A controlled group study involving 12 patients was performed with the purpose of comparing the effects of EMG feedback in the (re-)learning of motor control to the effects of a conventional physical therapy procedure (NDT). The therapy was focussed on the improvement of the dorsiflexion function of the foot. Special attention was given to the measurement and evaluation of functional parameters (range of motion and gait).

Neuropharmacological profile of a new series of dopamine agonists: N-n-propyl-hexahydronaphthoxazines.

It has been demonstrated that within the series of hydroxylated (7-OH, 9-OH) and non-hydroxylated (N-0498) hexahydronaphthoxazines the 9-OH (N-0500) analogue is a very potent centrally acting DA receptor agonist. In in vitro [3H]DP-5,6-ADTN binding experiments, reflecting D-2 dopaminergic activity, N-0500 was equipotent with apomorphine and RU-29717, whereas both the 7-OH (N-0499) and N-0498 were much less effective. In in vivo tests related to DA receptor stimulation N-0500 was found to be the most active compound.