Changes in membrane currents during Pavlovian conditioning of single cortical neurons.

Single electrode voltage clamp recordings were made during Pavlovian conditioning of single units of the motor cortex of cats. Units that developed a conditioned spike discharge in response to a click conditioned stimulus (CS) after pairing the click with glabella tap and local ionophoretic application of glutamate showed increases in input resistance and reductions of an early outward current induced by depolarizing commands and by return to holding potentials after hyperpolarizing commands. Changes in later currents were also found in some cells.

Fatal hemorrhage in a cerebral pilocytic astrocytoma-adult type.

A 69-year-old female presented with a 6-week history of left-sided weakness and a large cerebral mass on computed tomographic scan and magnetic resonance imaging. The patient subsequently had an acute intracerebral hemorrhage with uncal and tonsillar herniation. Postmortem examination revealed an acute cerebral hemorrhage from a pilocytic astrocytoma-adult type.

Impact on second malignancy risk of the combined use of radiation and chemotherapy for lymphomas.

The risk of a second malignancy was determined for 999 patients given primary treatment using chemotherapy only, radiation therapy only, or both for Hodgkin's Disease or a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at Duke University Medical Center between 1970 and 1981. The incidence, 10-year actuarial risk, and relative risk of developing an acute leukemia, solid tumor, or second lymphoma were determined by treatment modality and initial lymphoma type. Among the 313 Hodgkin's disease patients, the acute leukemia actuarial risk was 2.

Collagen shield delivery of amphotericin B.

By using a high-pressure liquid chromatography assay, we investigated the ability of collagen shield therapeutic contact lenses to release amphotericin B and deliver it to the anterior segment of rabbit eyes. In vitro studies showed that presoaked collagen shields released most of the amphotericin B within the first hour of elution. We compared the corneal and aqueous humor amphotericin B levels produced by collagen shields soaked in amphotericin B and frequent-drop therapy at four time points over a six-hour period.

Serum thyrotropin in hospitalized psychiatric patients: evidence for hyperthyrotropinemia as measured by an ultrasensitive thyrotropin assay.

In order to gather further insight into the basis for high serum T4 and/or T3 of psychiatric illnesses, we studied thyroid function in 84 consecutive newly hospitalized psychiatric patients (HPP) in a 12-week period. Serum T4 and T3 were measured by immunoassay and thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH]) by an ultrasensitive immunoradiometric assay. Serum T4 was in the normal range in 64 (76%) and elevated in 20 (24%); free T4 index was elevated in 13 of 75 (16%), total T3 in 12 of 60 (20%), free T3 index in seven of 56 (13%), and TSH in 14 of 84 (17%) cases so studied.

Effects of protein kinase C inhibitor H-7 on membrane properties and synaptic responses of neocortical neurons of awake cats.

Electrophysiological effects of intracellularly pressure-injected H-7, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, were investigated in neocortical neurons of awake cats. H-7 reduced spontaneous and depolarizing current-induced firing activity and increased the latency and apparent threshold of action potentials elicited by depolarizing currents. Slow afterhyperpolarizations following action potentials and depolarizing pulses increased after injection of H-7, without detectable changes in the time course of the fast components of the action potentials.

Rat brain synaptosomal ATP:AMP-phosphotransferase activity.

Adenylate kinase activity (ATP:AMP-phosphotransferase; EC 2.7.4.

Influence of hospitalization on drug therapy in the elderly.

In order to determine whether acute hospitalization leads to changes in the medications used by the elderly after discharge, we studied the medications used at admission and discharge for 197 elderly subjects admitted to one hospital. We found that 40% of all admission medications were discontinued by discharge and 45% of all discharge medications were newly started during the hospitalization. Although the number of drugs used did not increase significantly from admission to discharge (4.

3H-fucose incorporation into RPE cell surface proteins of normal and dystrophic rats.

Glycoproteins were metabolically labeled with 3H-fucose in cultured RPE cells from RCS rdy-p+ and Long Evans rats. 3H-labeled glycoproteins associated with a plasma membrane-enriched subcellular fraction were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Relative incorporation of 3H-fucose into high molecular weight cell surface glycoproteins (Mr of 128,000-183,000) was measured by quantitative autoradiography and densitometry.

Physician attitudes toward the "laying on of hands" during the AIDS epidemic.

Attitudes of 227 faculty and 148 housestaff physicians toward touching patients were studied in relationship to socio-demographic and job characteristics, previous exposure to and concern about HIV infection, and attitudes toward glove-wearing. Although a majority of the physicians felt that touching patients was personally satisfying, facilitated healing, and established rapport, such positive attitudes were more to be likely expressed by the younger physicians and those who worked longer hours, spent more time in primary care, and spent less time teaching. Positive attitudes were also related to less favorable attitudes toward glove-wearing and greater belief that more frequent glove use would have a negative effect on patient care.

Dose fractionation and regeneration in radiotherapy for cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx: tumor dose-response and repopulation.

In a retrospective study, local control of the primary tumor in 498 squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx was analyzed with respect to initial tumor volume, total dose after normalization for variations in fraction size, and to overall treatment time. Primary tumors were grouped into 4 sites, tongue (175), oral cavity including floor of mouth, faucial pillar, soft and hard palate and gingiva (210), tonsil (72) and buccal mucosa (41). Total doses of 60Co irradiation ranged from 30 Gy to 72 Gy, overall treatment times from 15 to 80 days and dose per fraction from 1.

An aminopyridine-sensitive, early outward current recorded in vivo in neurons of the precruciate cortex of cats using single-electrode voltage-clamp techniques.

Studies were performed in cortical neurons to determine if voltage- and time-dependent membrane currents could be recognized and characterized in the dynamic, in vivo state. Intracellular measurements made in neurons of the precruciate cortex of awake cats with single-electrode voltage-clamp (SEVC) techniques disclosed an early outward current to depolarizing command steps in 124 of 137 cells studied. The voltage-dependent properties of the early outward current closely resembled those of A-currents studied in vitro in vertebrate and invertebrate neurons.

Treatment of refractory aplastic anemia with recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor.

Fifteen patients with refractory aplastic anemia or agranulocytosis received treatment with recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) in doses from 4 to 64 micrograms/kg/d by continuous intravenous (IV) infusion. Ten of 11 evaluable patients with aplastic anemia had substantial increments in granulocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils associated with myeloid and eosinophilic hyperplasia in the bone marrow. Patients with pretreatment granulocytes greater than 0.

Peripheral patterns of calcitonin-gene-related peptide general somatic sensory innervation: cutaneous and deep terminations.

The distribution of calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP) immunoreactivity (IR) was studied in peripheral tissues of rats. The ganglionic origin, somatosensory nature, and anatomic relations of this thin-axon population were evaluated with particular emphasis on possible nociceptive roles. In animals untreated with colchicine, CGRP-IR is found in a vast proportion of small- and medium-diameter sensory ganglion cells that give rise to numerous thinly myelinated and unmyelinated axons that display CGRP-IR throughout the body.

Post-carotid endarterectomy hypertension: association with elevated cranial norepinephrine.

The cause and mechanism of post-carotid endarterectomy hypertension remains unknown. To determine the influence of the sympathetic and renin-angiotensin system, we measured cranial and peripheral plasma levels of catecholamine and renin in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. Baseline samples were drawn just before carotid clamping (sample I) and compared with study samples drawn immediately after clamp release (sample II), 2 to 6 hours after surgery (sample III), and then 18 to 24 hours after surgery (sample IV).

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the rat central nervous system: patterns of immunoreactivity and receptor binding sites.

The distribution of immunoreactive (IR) axons and neurons in the rat central nervous system (CNS) has been studied with an antiserum directed against the C-terminal sequence of rat a-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and a durable peroxidase reaction product for detailed analysis in relation to normal cytoarchitecture. These materials were studied and illustrated in the three principal axes in relation to cell-stained adjacent sections in normal as well as colchicine- and capsaicin-treated animals, although no fundamental differences in pattern were evident in neurotoxin-treated rats. The patterns of CGRP-IR were then compared with autoradiograms of specific, high affinity receptor binding sites for 125I-human a-CGRP.

Dysmaturation neuromyopathy: correlation with minimal neuropathy in sural nerve biopsies.

Dysmaturation (neuro)myopathy without specific histochemical or cytoarchitectural characteristics accounts for many cases of hypotonia in infancy. We obtained a maturation profile for type I and type II fibers from birth to 6 years of age, from which a classification of fiber dysmaturation based on fiber-type hypotrophy and coefficient of fiber variation is presented. We analyzed the morphometric, ultrastructural, and single fiber teasing findings in the sural nerve of ten infants with hypotonia and dysmaturation myopathy based on the above classification.

Intracellular injection of apamin reduces a slow potassium current mediating afterhyperpolarizations and IPSPs in neocortical neurons of cats.

Electrophysiologic effects of intracellularly injected apamin, a Ca2+-dependent K+ channel blocker, were investigated in neurons of the motor cortex of awake cats. Single-electrode voltage clamp techniques were used to measure changes in membrane currents including those that were synaptically activated. All changes occurred within 2-4 min after pressure injection of apamin with partial recovery observed within 8-15 min.

In vivo properties of neurons of the precruciate cortex of cats.

The electrical properties of 409 cells of the precruciate cortex of cats were measured intracellularly, in vivo. Resting potentials (RP) averaged -54 +/- 11 mV (SD), and action potentials (AP) of up to 80 mV were found. The magnitude of RP was correlated with the size of AP recorded.

Oncocytic carcinoid of the kidney associated with periodic Cushing's syndrome.

An oncocytic carcinoid of the kidney producing a periodic Cushing's syndrome in an adolescent is described. The tumor displayed gross, histologic, and ultrastructural features similar to renal oncocytoma, another unusual renal neoplasm. A review of renal carcinoids and possible associations between oncocytic change and periodic hormone production are discussed.

Activation of protein kinase C induces long-term changes of postsynaptic currents in neocortical neurons.

Intracellularly injected phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PdiB), a phorbol ester that activates protein kinase C (PKC), altered the postsynaptic responses of neurons of the motor cortex of cats. PdiB increased the amplitudes and durations of EPSPs and decreased the amplitudes and durations of IPSPs elicited by stimulation of the ventrolateral (VL) thalamus or the pyramidal tract (PT). The changes lasted for 50 min or longer.