Caspase-independent apoptosis in Friend's erythroleukemia cells: role of mitochondrial ATP synthesis impairment in relocation of apoptosis-inducing factor and endonuclease G.

Mitochondria have emerged as the central components of both caspase-dependent and independent apoptosis signalling pathways through release of different apoptogenic proteins. We previously documented that parental and differentiated Friend's erythroleukemia cells were induced to apoptosis by oligomycin and H(2)O(2) exposure, showing that the energy impairment occurring in both cases as a consequence of a severe mitochondrial F(0)F(1)ATPsynthase inactivation was a common early feature. Here we provide evidence for AIF and Endo G mitochondrio-nuclear relocation in both cases, as a component of caspase-independent apoptosis pathways.

The attractiveness of internal medicine: a qualitative analysis of the experiences of female and male medical students. Society of General Internal Medicine Task Force on Career Choice in Internal Medicine.

Objective: To understand better the decline in medical student interest in internal medicine.

Design: Qualitative analysis of 500 essays from respondents who participated in a national survey of graduating medical students from the class of 1990 in 16 medical schools. Medical students were asked the open-ended question, "What suggestions do you have for improving the attractiveness of internal medicine?" A model of career choice was developed for the analysis that included the following factors: ambulatory care exposure and primary care (including relationships with patients); attending physician-student interactions and learning climate; stress and workload; income and prestige; and intellectual stimulation.

Facial electromyography in depression. Subgroup differences.

To study whether facial electromyographic (EMG) activity during affective imagery differed between normal subjects and depressive subtypes, we evaluated EMG responses in 29 normal controls, 37 endogenously depressed patients, and 26 nonendogenously depressed patients. Different imagery states produced more distinctive EMG patterns in normal controls than in depressed patients. Patients with endogenous depression had EMG levels that differentiated them from normal subjects and had significantly greater absolute values than the nonendogenous group in corrugator happy and corrugator sad imagery trials.

Age effects in serial hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal monitoring.

To evaluate age effects on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) regulation in depressives, we studied 65 patients with major depressive disorder, endogenous subtype. With each patient serving as his or her own control, we compared weekly dexamethasone suppression test (DST) results among three age subgroups (less than 40 years, n = 18; 40-70 years, n = 40; greater than 70 years, n = 7). The oldest patient group had higher mean post-dexamethasone plasma cortisol concentrations both before and after treatment, and more were DST nonsuppressors.