Drug abuse in pregnancy: obstetric and neonatal problems. Ten years' experience.

Drug abuse is an increasing problem and approximately 80% of female drug abusers are of childbearing age. This retrospective case note study reviews 10 years' experience of the management of pregnant drug abusers (n = 57) in the obstetric hospital of a London teaching hospital. Surprisingly, in view of other reports of high morbidity, no significantly increased rates of obstetric and neonatal problems were found when this group was compared with case-matched controls.

The effects of local application of retinoids to different positions along the proximo-distal axis of embryonic chick wings.

Two retinoids, all-trans-retinoic acid and a synthetic analog, TTNPB, were locally applied to different positions along the proximo-distal axis of embryonic chick wing buds using controlled release carriers. Truncations or limbs with duplicated structures across the antero-posterior axis develop after retinoid application to distal positions in buds from stage 20-24 embryos. Phocomelic limbs develop when the retinoids are applied more proximally to buds of stage 23-24 embryos.

Alternative pathways of glucose utilization in developing rat spinal cord.

The activities of alternative pathways of glucose utilization in the developing rat spinal cord were evaluated from the release of (14)CO(2) and the incorporation of [(14)C] into lipids from differentially labelled glucose. Total lipid synthesis had peak activity at 15 days post-partum corresponding to the period of peak myelination in rat spinal cord. The activities of the glycolytic route, tricarboxylic acid cycle and fully activated pentose phosphate pathway were highest up to 20 days post-partum.

Social class and cardiovascular disease: the contribution of work.

Low social class has been identified as a risk factor for coronary heart disease in highly industrialized countries. The authors discuss the social class concept in relation to psychosocial working conditions. Most of those psychosocial work characteristics that are of relevance to cardiovascular risk, namely, skill discretion, authority over decisions, and social support at work, are unevenly distributed across social classes--the lower the social class, the fewer the resources for coping with psychosocial stressors.

The origin and significance of anti-DNA antibodies.

Polyreactive autoantibodies able to bind double-stranded DNA are a characteristic of systemic lucus erytheamtosus. Here, David Isenberg and Yehuda Shoenfeld discuss the likelihood that DNA is the immunogen in this disorder, and review a number of cross-reactions that may underline the detection of the antibodies.

B vitamins in the nervous system.

The coenzyme functions of the B vitamins in intermediatry metabolism are well established; nevertheless, for none of them is it possible to determine precisely the connection between the biochemical lesions associated with deficiency and the neurological consequences. Although there is convincing evidence of a neurospecific role for thiamin and other B vitamins, in no case has this role been adequately described. Similarly, the neurochemical sequelae of intoxication by massive amounts of vitamins (so-called mega-vitamin therapy or orthomolecular medicine) remain largely unexplained.

Biochemistry: retrospect and prospect.

At The Middlesex, efforts are made to tailor basic biochemical material so that it fits naturally into the clinical context. In the past, lectures and tutorials have been enlivened using simulations and a problem-solving 'information game', but traditional methods, especially if modernized, still have an important part to play.

Emission tomography in embolic lung disease.

Ventilation-perfusion lung scans and emission tomography studies were performed in 84 patients with suspected embolic lung disease. Concordant data were obtained in 72 patients (57 positive, 15 negative); results were discordant in ten patients and indeterminate in two. Although the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism with the conventional two-dimensional planar projections of standard ventilation-perfusion lung scans is still the mainstay, a greater sensitivity in lesion detection can be expected with multiplane detection imaging.

Inhibition in vitro of the enzymes of the oxidative pathway of tryptophan metabolism and of nicotinamide nucleotide synthesis by benserazide, carbidopa and isoniazid.

The effects of three hydrazine derivatives on the enzymes of the tryptophan oxidative pathway and of nicotinamide nucleotide synthesis have been studied using preparations from rat liver. The compounds used were Benserazide and Carbidopa, two inhibitors of aromatic amino acid decarboxylase used together with dopa in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, and the anti-tubercular agent isoniazid. All three drugs inhibited tryptophan oxygenase and kynureninase, at concentrations that are likely to be encountered in vivo following administration to patients or experimental animals.

Observations on the algogenic actions of adenosine compounds on the human blister base preparation.

The action of the adenyl compounds adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and adenosine was studied on the human blister base preparation. All 4 adenyl compounds produced pain which was slow in onset and not maintained. The threshold concentration for pain was of the order of 1-3 micron.

The Australian journal of physiotherapy oration: wholesome discontent - a spur to action.

That all discontent leads to progress is patently absurd, for there is the discontent born of self pity which can lead nowhere save to perdition. But discontent arising from a desire to better the status quo is worthy and has a fair claim to being the source and mainspring of all action that adds to the sum of human dignity. Lacking it, mankind would still be in the stone age, and his existence short, nasty and brutish as ever; possessed of it - and in every generation there are those in whom it is part of their very nature - he moves forward, and the firmament itself comes within his reach.

The pentose phosphate pathway of glucose metabolism. Measurement of the non-oxidative reactions of the cycle.

Methods for the quantitative determination of ribose 5-phosphate isomerase, ribulose 5-phosphate 3-epimerase, transketolase and transaldolase in tissue extracts are described. The determinations depend on the measurement of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate by using the coupled system triose phosphate isomerase, alpha-glycero-phosphate dehydrogenase and NADH. By using additional purified enzymes transketolase, ribose 5-phosphate isomerase and ribulose 5-phosphate epimerase conditions could be arranged so that each enzyme in turn was made rate-limiting in the overall system.

Determination of oestrogen monoglucuronides by the Brown method.

In the Brown (Brown, 1955; Brown, Bulbrook & Greenwood, 1957) procedure for the determination of urinary oestrogens, losses may occur during the hydrolysis of the oestrogen conjugates and during the purification of the oestrogens thus formed. Losses during the latter stages were measured previously by adding free oestrogens to the hydrolysed urine. In the present study losses during acid and enzyme hydrolysis were measured by adding synthetic oestrogen monoglucuronides to urine.

Effect of alloxan-diabetes on multiple forms of hexokinase in adipose tissue and lung.

Comparison has been made of the effect of alloxan-diabetes on the multiple forms of hexokinase (EC 2.7.1.

Influence of hormones on the nicotinamide nucleotide coenzymes of adipose tissue.

The concentrations of the oxidized and reduced forms of the nicotinamide nucleotides were measured in the epididymal fat pads of normal, alloxan-diabetic and hypophysectomized rats. In both alloxan-diabetic rats and hypophysectomized rats the weight of the adipose tissue fell, as did the total content of NADH and NADPH; in addition, NAD(+) was decreased in the alloxan-diabetic group. Of these changes the most marked was in NADPH and this was the only significant difference when the results were expressed as nicotinamide nucleotides/mg.

A quantitative evaluation of the relative efficiency of gelatine and albumin in preventing insulin adsorption to glass.

Albumin has been found to be more effective than gelatine in preventing insulin loss from insulin containing solutions. It is probable that this has led to falsely elevated levels of insulin-like activity (ILA) reported with bio-assays. Preparations of crystalline human albumin have been found to be free from ILA and from insulin measured by the radio-immuno-assay.