Appearance and evolution of calcitic and aragonitic otoconia during Pleurodeles waltl development.

The aim of this study is to determine the stages of appearance, morphology, crystallographic structure and chemical composition of otoconia during the inner ear development of an urodele amphibian, Pleurodeles waltl. The first otoconia are detected in the otocyst. Near hatching, calcitic otoconia are polyhedral in the saccule and cylindrical in the utricle.

Effects of aging and antihypertensive treatment on aortic internal diameter in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The effect of antihypertensive treatment on the development of large-artery remodeling in young animals has been widely studied, but reversal of established changes in older hypertensive animals has been largely ignored, although the latter represents a better paradigm for the human condition. We studied the effect of treatment with captopril plus hydrochlorothiazide, from 3 months onward, on geometry and wall stress of the thoracic aorta of adult (9 months, maturation) and old (15 months, senescence) spontaneously hypertensive rats; normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats were used as controls. At 3 months of age, blood pressure, medial cross-sectional area, and internal diameter were higher in spontaneously hypertensive rats than in Wistar-Kyoto rats.

Crystallographic and chemical composition of otoconia in the salamander Pleurodeles waltl.

The aim of the present study was to define the morphology and the crystallographic and chemical composition of otoconia in different regions of the inner ear in Pleurodeles waltl (urodele amphibian). The inner ear of adults was microdissected and otoconia were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and transmission electron microscopy. Two types of crystals were detected by SEM.

From French vocabulary to the Unified Medical Language System: a preliminary study.

The Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) is an extensive source of biomedical knowledge developed and maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM).

Histologic changes in the sinus membrane after maxillary sinus augmentation in goats.

Purpose: Previous studies have reported on the morphologic aspects of bone regeneration after maxillary sinus grafting. However, no previous studies have examinated the morphology of the maxillary sinus mucosa after grafting. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the histologic changes in the lining membrane after sinus augmentation.

Proposition of a technique to assess the vasoactive effects of hemoglobin-based oxygen carrying solutions in vivo: preliminary results in the rabbit aorta.

Most of hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) increase the blood pressure after injection in the blood stream by a mechanism involving one or more factors that contribute to the regulation of the vascular tone. Many techniques make it possible to study the vascular effects of HBOCs both in vivo and in vitro. The in vivo methods assess the blood pressure and some estimated regional blood flows (use of radioactive or colored microspheres).

Grafts of ovaries in males and females of Pleurodeles waltl (urodele amphibia): evidence of a long-term tolerance of allografts; application following a space biology experiment.

Ovary grafts were investigated in the salamander Pleurodeles using juveniles and adults as donors and hosts. Ovaries were provided by standard or histo-compatible strains and by standard females which had been submitted to a space flight. Laparotomy of the hosts was used to control viability of grafts.

Autoantibodies in pernicious anemia type I patients recognize sequence 251-256 in human intrinsic factor.

Pernicious anemia is an organ-specific autoimmune disease characterized by cobalamin deficiency, megaloblastic anemia, neuropathy, and autoimmune gastritis with anti-intrinsic factor autoantibodies. Type 1 anti-intrinsic factor autoantibodies block the cobalamin binding site of the intrinsic factor, a gastric protein required for the assimilation of cobalamin. The aim of our study was to identify the epitope domain of type 1 antibodies.

Comparison of functional results after ethmoidectomy and nasalization for diffuse and severe nasal polyposis.

Taking advantage of a natural experimental situation, we compared, retrospectively, functional results after nasalization and ethmoidectomy for diffuse nasal polyposis. Nasalization was a radical ethmoidectomy systematically removing all the bony lamellae and mucosa within the labyrinth, with large antrostomy, sphenoidotomy, frontotomy, and middle turbinectomy (Surgeon 1, 39 consecutive patients operated on between March and September 1991). Ethmoidectomy was a less systematic procedure, that was adapted to the extent of the pathology (Surgeon 2, 37 consecutive patients, operated on between October 1991 and November 1994).

Management of post-ethmoidectomy crust formation: randomized single-blind clinical trial comparing pressurized seawater versus antiseptic/mucolytic saline.

This study compared the efficacy of mechanical nasal lavages with pressurized seawater versus nasal irrigations with saline plus benzododecinium (antiseptic) plus oleosorbate (mucolytic). Twenty patients agreed to participate in a randomized, single-blind clinical trial. All patients underwent endoscopic endonasal ethmoidectomy for nasal polyps.

Eosinophils in the pathophysiology of nasal polyposis.

Nasal polyposis can be defined as a chronic inflammatory disease of the paranasal sinus mucosa, leading to a protrusion of benign edematous polyps from the meatus into the nasal cavities. Nasal polyps are histologically characterized by massive edema and accumulation of eosinophils. IgE-mediated allergy seems to play only a minor role in eosinophil accumulation, leaving the place for a new concept of non-allergic rhinitis with eosinophilia.

Peptidase-1 expression in some organs of the salamander Pleurodeles waltl submitted to a 12-day space flight.

In Pleurodeles, the peptidase-1 is a sex-linked enzyme encoded by two codominant genes (Pep-1A and Pep-1B) located on the Z and W sex chromosomes. The sexual genotype can be determined by the electrophoretic pattern of the peptidase from erythrocytes. ZAWB genotypic females characterized by 3 electrophoretic bands AA, AB and BB were embarked on Cosmos 2229.

Fate of the grafted ovaries from female salamander Pleurodeles waltl embarked on the Cosmos 2229 flight.

The flight procedure of "Experience Triton" on Cosmos 2229 made necessary to sacrifice the embarked females just after landing. In order to detect genetic abnormalities in the progency of these adult females, we have performed a surgical procedure based on the transplantation of an ovarian piece on a recipient animal. One year later, as observed after laparotomy, the grafted ovaries exhibit oogonies and some growing oocytes.

Leukocyte compartments in the nasal secretion medium.

Nasal secretions are known to play a role in respiratory tract and host defense. Besides the mucociliary transport and biochemical properties of the mucus, we hypothesize the role of a secretory leukocyte compartment. We designed a time-series study to count leukocytes in baseline, physically- and pharmacologically-induced secretions.

Practical relevance of the 24-hour trough: peak ratio of antihypertensive drugs.

INTRODUCTION OF THE TROUGH:PEAK RATIO: The mean antihypertensive effect of a drug, measured just before the next dose in a multiple-dose regimen, is generally used as a criterion for approval by regulatory agencies. However, for many short-acting drugs very high doses may be required to maintain some antihypertensive activity at the end of the dosing interval. This may lead to an excessive reduction in blood pressure at the time of peak drug effect.

Determination of the ratios of the aromatic amino acid residues by first- or second-derivative UV spectrometry for a simple characterization of peptides.

A method for the simultaneous determination of the ratios of the three aromatic amino-acid residues in peptides was set up in acidic conditions. Binary and ternary mixtures of these amino acids were prepared, and first- and second-derivative spectra then calculated from their 0.1 nm resolution spectra between 240 and 320 nm.