Massage therapy for cardiac surgery patients--a randomized trial.

Objectives: To determine whether massage significantly reduces anxiety, pain, and muscular tension and enhances relaxation compared with an equivalent period of rest time after cardiac surgery. The feasibility of delivering the treatment, effects on heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate, and patient satisfaction were also assessed.

Methods: Elective cardiac surgery patients were randomized to receive massage or rest time at 2 points after surgery.

Type 1 and 2 immunity following vaccination is influenced by nanoparticle size: formulation of a model vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus.

Previous studies compared uptake by dendritic cells (DC) of 20, 40, 100, 200, 500, 1000, and 2000 nm beads in vivo. When beads were used as antigen carriers, bead size influenced antibody responses and induction of IFN-gamma-producing CD4 and CD8 T cells. Beads of 40-50 nm were taken up preferentially by DC and induced particularly strong immunity.

Respiratory syncytial virus matrix protein associates with nucleocapsids in infected cells.

Little is known about the functions of the matrix (M) protein of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). By analogy with other negative-strand RNA viruses, the M protein should inhibit the viral polymerase prior to packaging and facilitate virion assembly. In this study, localization of the RSV M protein in infected cells and its association with the RSV nucleocapsid complex was investigated.

FcgammaR-mediated phagocytosis by human macrophages involves Hck, Syk, and Pyk2 and is augmented by GM-CSF.

The receptors for the constant region of immunoglobulin G (FcgammaR) are widely expressed on cells of hemopoietic lineage and plays an important role in host defense. We investigated the signaling pathways during FcgammaR-mediated phagocytosis in human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) and examined the effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) on these events. FcgammaR-mediated phagocytosis resulted in enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of a wide range of cellular proteins and activation of tyrosine kinases Hck, Syk, and Pyk2, as well as the multidomain adapter protein paxillin.

Uptake of HIV and latex particles by fresh and cultured dendritic cells and monocytes.

Blood dendritic cells (DC) efficiently carry HIV-1 and transmit infection to CD4+ T cells in the absence of productive infection of the APC. Fluorescent latex beads were used to define the endocytic pathways that may contribute to this non-infectious pathway of virus carriage. Beads between 14 nm and 2300 nm in diameter were taken up by uncultured blood DC, but uptake of beads larger than 280 nm was much reduced in the DC compared to monocytes.

Efficacy and kinetics of glycerol inactivation of HIV-1 in split skin grafts.

Allogeneic split skin grafts are used widely in the treatment of burns. The relative simplicity of glycerol preservation of skin suggests it will be used increasingly in areas of high HIV-1 seroprevalence. The ability of glycerol preservation to inactivate HIV-1 present in skin graft infected in vitro was determined using a macrophage tropic strain HIV-1 as a cell-free virus suspension, within infected PBMCs, or within in vitro HIV-1 infected fresh cadaveric split skin.

The 1998 Lindberg Award. Comparison of glycerol preservation with cryopreservation methods on HIV-1 inactivation.

Cryopreservation and glycerol preservation are 2 successful methods for long-term preservation of human cadaver skin. Preservation is subjected to strict criteria to minimize the risk of disease transmission. This investigation compares the effects of glycerol preservation and cryopreservation on the inactivation of HIV-1.

Aluminum acid alizarin violet: a general purpose nuclear fluorochrome.

Acid alizarin violet N in an acidified aluminum potassium sulfate solution (AAV) is presented as a nuclear fluorochrome. We demonstrate using 1 N HCl, deoxyribonuclease, and ribonuclease digestion methods that this stain has specificity for nucleic acids similar to other aluminum mordant stains in 95% ethanol-fixed material. The method presented gives stable preparations and is resistant to fading for at least two years.

Rubella virus replication complexes are virus-modified lysosomes.

Replication complexes are membrane-bound cytoplasmic vacuoles involved in rubella virus (RV) replication. These structures can be identified by their characteristic morphology at the electron microscopy (EM) level and by their association with double-stranded (ds) RNA in immunogold labeling EM studies. Although these virus-induced structures bear some resemblance to lysosomes, their exact nature and origin are unknown.

Sporicidal activity of chemical and physical tissue fixation methods.

Aims: The effects of alcohol based fixation and microwave stimulated alcohol fixation were investigated on spores of Bacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus subtilis (var. niger).

Methods: Spores were exposed to 10% formalin, or different concentrations of various alcohol containing fixatives (Kryofix/Spuitfix).

Confocal laser scanning microscopy of porcine skin: implications for human wound healing studies.

The structure of porcine skin as examined by light microscopy is reviewed and its similarities to and differences from human skin are highlighted. Special imaging techniques and staining procedures are described and their use in gathering morphological information in porcine skin is discussed. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was employed to examine the structure of porcine skin and the findings are presented as an adjunct to the information already available in the literature.

Calcification of cross-linked collagen-elastin membrane implants in vivo and their proposed use in bone regeneration.

Factors influencing the in vivo calcification of porcine collagen membranes containing elastic fibres were investigated by light and confocal microscopy. Two glutaraldehyde (GA) cross-linking protocols were used: a new one involving microwaving (NEWGA), and a conventional method using GA treatment at room temperature (OLDGA). We observed that the physical and chemical properties of implanted membranes will influence the acute inflammatory response, which initially checks the calcification process.

4D confocal microscopy for visualisation of bone remodelling.

Until recently it was very time consuming and difficult to make three-dimensional (3D) images of newly formed bone. With the advent of confocal technologies and increased computer power, 3D imaging is greatly facilitated. In this paper we demonstrate that enhanced confocal visualisation of newly formed bone is possible when bone is labelled in vivo sequentially with two osteotropic markers (xylenol orange and tetracycline).

Recognition of atypical reserve cell hyperplasia in cervical smears and its diagnostic significance.

In this study, the histological, cytological, and electron microscopical features of cervical atypical reserve cell hyperplasia are presented. The most important feature of atypical reserve cells in smears is the absence of cytoplasm. Thus, they must be recognized on the absence and not on the presence of a feature, which makes identifying these cells a controversial issue.

HIV infection of monocyte-derived macrophages in vitro reduces phagocytosis of Candida albicans.

HIV-1 infection of peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) is unrelated to the level of CD4 expression on the surface of the cell, is associated with considerable donor variability, causes minimal cytopathology, and results in peak viral antigen production after 2 weeks of infection. Phagocytosis of opsonized Candida albicans by MDMs infected in vitro with several strains of HIV was compared with that of uninfected cells from the same donors; the proportion of MDMs containing the fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled yeast was determined by flow cytometry and phase contrast microscopy. The intracellular localization of C.

Chemical and physical properties of collagen implants influence their fate in vivo as evaluated by light and confocal microscopy.

Porcine collagen membranes having a rough and a smooth side were used for subcutaneous implantation studies in rats. Two tanning protocols were used for the membranes, a new one involving microwaving and glutaraldehyde treatment (NEWGA), and the other, a conventional method using glutaraldehyde treatment at room temperature (OLDGA). Untreated membranes (NONGA) were also implanted.

Microwave immunoincubations using coverplate units.

Recently, the Coverplate immunostaining method was introduced. This system allows easy handling of the slides and is suitable for immunoincubations for a variety of antigens at the same time on consecutive sections, without having to apply droplets of the individual primary antibodies on the sections. In this study, temperature rise inside the Coverplate units during microwave exposure is investigated.

Evaluation of porphyrin characteristics required for photodynamic therapy.

The cytotoxicity (in the dark), phototoxicity (red light) and subcellular localization (using confocal laser scanning microscopy) were determined for 15 porphyrins (1-15) in C6 glioma cells. The partition coefficient in 2-octanol was also determined for each porphyrin at pH 7.4.

Selective tumor uptake of a boronated porphyrin in an animal model of cerebral glioma.

The prognosis for patients with high-grade cerebral glioma is poor. Most treatment failures are due to local recurrence of tumor, indicating that a more aggressive local therapy could be beneficial. Adjuvant treatments such as porphyrin-sensitized photodynamic therapy (PDT) or boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) have the potential to control local recurrence.

Subcellular localization of porphyrins using confocal laser scanning microscopy.

The in vitro subcellular distribution patterns of 10 porphyrins, varying in hydrophobicity and charge, were studied using confocal laser scanning microscopy on two cell lines (V79 and C6 glioma cells) for incubation times up to 24 h. All of the porphyrins were taken up rapidly by both cell lines and distinct classes of subcellular distribution patterns were observed: general cytoplasmic staining; localization in lysosomes (usually associated with general cytoplasmic staining); localization in mitochondria (and general cytoplasmic staining); localization in mitochondria with subsequent uptake into lysosomes. Structure-localization relationships which have emerged are that porphyrins with dominantly cationic side chains localize in mitochondria, whereas those with a more anionic character tend to localize in lysosomes.