Chemical, Physiological and Molecular Responses of Host Plants to Lepidopteran Egg-Laying.

Plant-lepidopteran interactions involve complex processes encompassing molecules and regulators to counteract defense responses they develop against each other. Lepidoptera identify plants for oviposition and exploit them as larval food sources to complete their development. In turn, plants adopt different strategies to overcome and limit herbivorous damages.

Amitriptyline-related peripheral neuropathy. Case report.

Although amitriptyline is not usually regarded as toxic to the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and is even prescribed by some for neuropathic pain, there are sporadic reports of peripheral neuropathy following overdose or prolonged use of the drug. The scarcity of data leads us to report a case we have followed for 3 years clinically and electromyographically. A 54 year old man on oral amitriptyline 150 mg uninterruptedly for 2 years consulted us for lower limb paresthesias and was found on clinical examination to have reduced ankle jerks and mild distal global hypoesthesia.

Subclinical inorganic mercury neuropathy: neurophysiological investigations in 17 occupationally exposed subjects.

17 workers in a thermometer factory exposed to mercury for periods ranging from 1 to 40 years all had high urine and blood mercury levels on undergoing electromyographic examination. All were clinically free from central and peripheral nervous symptoms. 88% had subclinical neuropathy, mainly distal and axonal.

Arteriovenous fistula and nerve conduction velocity in patients on hemodialysis: statistical and electrographic findings.

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible influence of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) on nerve conduction velocity in patients on intermittent hemodialysis and its relevance to the pathogenesis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The data on 22 patients showed no statistically significant differences in the electrographic parameters considered. This suggests that AVF by the end-to-end method plays no significant part in the alteration of nerve conduction.

On ethylene oxide neurotoxicity: report of two cases of peripheral neuropathy.

Two cases of clinically and electromyographically proven ethylene oxide neuropathy occurred among 12 workers at the Lecco Hospital Sterilization Center. Cessation of exposure to the gas, which had lasted for two years, was followed by swift remission of the symptoms and complete normalisation of the EMG record at follow-up six months later. The paucity of published data on the subject may well mean that the real risk of ethylene oxide toxicity is being underrated.

Paroxysmal kinesigenic choreoathetosis. Case report.

A case of sporadic, idiopathic, paroxysmal kinesigenic choreoathetosis is described. The frequent attacks triggered by the initial phase of voluntary movement responded well to treatment with diphenylhydantoin. The nosological, etiopathogenetic, clinical and therapeutic aspects of paroxysmal choreoathetosis are discussed and the literature reviewed.

[Hypothyroid neuropathy. Description 2 cases].

Although neurological complications of hypothyroidism are well recognized, scanty data, to the best of our knowledge, are available about peripheral neuropathies in this condition. The electrographic studies so far performed are nearly all devoted to the well known association myxoedema-carpal tunnel syndrome. Our data concern two patients affected by neuropathy in hypothyroidism, presenting diffuse anomalies of electrographic parameters (motor and sensitive nerve conduction velocity, F-wave, H-reflex, H-index); and, in one of these cases, a marked segmental demyelination and axonal degenerations were disclosed by pathological examination of sural nerve (according to Dyck and Lambert, 1970; Shirabe and coll.

[Diaphragmatic paralysis in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (author's transl)].

One clinical case of neurogenic diaphragmatic paralysis secondary to amyophic lateral sclerosis as a prominent presenting symptom is described. The condition is a very rare one, only eight cases being reported till now in literature. The Authors lay stress one some diagnostic criteria for the individuation of neurogenic diaphragmatic paralysis due to motor neuron disease.

[Duchenne muscular dystrophy in girls (author's transl)].

The AA., after a review cases of girls suffering from a muscular dystrophy like Duchenne, present two cases that they think to set in the same nosographical context. Even though they admit its extreme rarity and the possiblility that many cases previously published are controversial, they accept that Duchenne myodistrophic syndromes certainly occur in girls, even if their substantial nature remain uncertain.

[Further remarks on histochemistry applied to myodiagnosis: findings of "type predominance" (author's transl)].

Data concerning muscular biopsies (histochemically examined) of three patients affected by Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, neurogenic atrophy of spondilosic origin and benign congenital hypotonia, are described. The common finding was a histochemical appearence of "type predominance". This point and the possible "neurogenic" origin of benign congenital hypotonia, are discussed.

[Some clinical and paraclinical observations about the syndrome of "acropathie ulcero-mutilante" (author's transl)].

A case of "acropathie ulcero-mutilante" is reported, some features of which contribute to a better knowledge of the following controversial points: a) the occurrence of sporadic non familiar cases; b) the existence of degenerative changes in the motor pathways; c) the hystochemical picture, which has been not previously described. This case confirm sporadicity and degenerative changes in motor pathways. The histochemical picture show typical signs of denervation.

[Diagnostic problems posed by hypotrophic facio-scapulo-humeral syndromes (author's transl)].

The Authors, on the ground of the literature and of their own observations, stress the diagnostic non specificity of hypotrophic facio-scapulo-humeral syndromes: these sindromes, contrary to the current opinion, aren't always of primitive myodistrophic nature but may also be "neurogenic", inflammatory, collagenopathis, etc. In this connection they present an illustrative case of facio-scapulo-humeral syndrome which had clinical features typically "myogenic" but turned out to be "neurogenic" after electromyographic and histochemical investigation.