Kinetics of cytokine expression during healing of acute colitis in mice.

The mechanisms of wound healing in the gut are poorly understood but are mediated by cytokines in other tissues. In this study we wanted to determine which cytokines were expressed after nonspecific colonic injury, the kinetics of that expression, and how cytokine expression correlated with tissue histology. At 0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after intrarectal administration of 3% acetic acid to C3H/HeJ mice, their colons were removed for histology, organ culture, and RNA extraction.

The distribution and significance of CNS adrenoceptors examined with in situ hybridization.

Several of the established alpha 1-, alpha 2- and beta-adrenoceptors have now been isolated and cloned. The in situ hybridization method has been used to map the distribution of many of these adrenoceptors within cells of the CNS. These studies add complementary and new information to our knowledge of adrenoceptor localization provided previously by radioligand-mediated autoradiography.

Alterations in cortical thickness and neuronal density in the frontal cortex of Albert Einstein.

Neuronal density, neuron size, and the number of neurons under 1 mm2 of cerebral cortical surface area were measured in the right pre-frontal cortex of Albert Einstein and five elderly control subjects. Measurement of neuronal density used the optical dissector technique on celloidin-embedded cresyl violet-stained sections. The neurons counted provided a systematic random sample for the measurement of cell body cross-sectional area.

Mitogenic signaling from the egf receptor is attenuated by a phospholipase C-gamma/protein kinase C feedback mechanism.

We recently demonstrated that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mediated signaling of cell motility and mitogenesis diverge at the immediate post-receptor level. How these two mutually exclusive cell responses cross-communicate is not known. We investigated a possible role for a phospholipase C (PLC)-dependent feedback mechanism that attenuates EGF-induced mitogenesis.

Amlodipine increases cyclosporine levels in hypertensive renal transplant patients: results of a prospective study.

Calcium channel blockers (CCB) are considered the agents of choice to treat hypertension in cyclosporine (CsA)-treated renal transplant patients. Verapamil, diltiazem, and nicardipine, but not nifedipine or isradipine, can significantly increase CsA levels. The effect of a new CCB, amlodipine, has not been established.

Delayed diagnosis of pancreatic transection after blunt abdominal trauma.

A case of delayed diagnosis of a pancreatic transection after blunt abdominal trauma is presented. The cause of diagnostic delay as well as measures to avoid future errors in diagnosis are outlined.

Simultaneous multicompartment intracellular Ca2+ measurements in the perfused heart using 19F NMR spectroscopy.

Although Ca2+ transport regulation at subcellular organelles is of great interest, only limited methodology has been available for measuring organellar [Ca2+] levels. The present study employs the 19F NMR resonance frequency of 4F-BAPTA to measure free [Ca2+]. In 4F-BAPTA loaded perfused rabbit hearts, two 19F NMR resonances were clearly observed.

Stage-specific expression of integrin alphaVbeta3 in neuroblastic tumors.

The ligand specificity of the integrin cell adhesion receptors probably determines the ability of specific integrins to promote tumor cell proliferation and metastasis. Therefore, we compared the expression of integrin alphaVbeta3, a promiscuous receptor that binds with high affinity to numerous cell matrix proteins, with the expression of integrin alphaVbeta5 and the integrin beta 1 subunit (which pairs with multiple alpha subunits) in neuroblastic tumors at various stages of differentiation. Undifferentiated neuroblastoma tumors rapidly invade and metastasize, whereas ganglioneuroblastomas rarely metastasize.

Sexual dimorphism of hypertension.

A sexually dimorphic pattern of blood pressure, in which the male develops higher blood pressure than the age-matched female, has been observed both in human subjects and in laboratory animals. The mechanism(s) of this sexual dimorphism of blood pressure are not completely understood. This review summarizes sex differences in the epidemiology of hypertension in humans, the role of gonadal steroid hormones in the regulation of blood pressure of normotensive and hypertensive laboratory animals, and new insights into the molecular basis of the sexual dimorphism of hypertension and hypertensive vascular disease.

Vegetation biopsy using transesophageal echocardiography guidance: a technique to aid in diagnosis of culture-negative endocarditis.

A method of obtaining a vegetation sample in a culture-negative endocarditis is described. A combination of fluoroscopy and transesophageal echocardiography was utilized to obtain the sample. The results positively influenced the diagnosis and treatment in this 16-yr-old male with complex congenital heart disease.

Outcome analysis using hazard function methodology.

Background: The hazard function is the instantaneous rate of occurrence of a time-related event, such as death. Methods exist to determine the hazard function from clinical outcome (follow-up) data, to identify risk factors for higher hazard, and to generate patient-specific predictions. In this article, hazard function methodology is extended to the arena of healthcare costs.

Atrial natriuretic peptide blunts arterial baroreflex in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We and other laboratories have reported that arterial baroreflex-mediated control of heart rate is blunted in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) compared with normotensive controls. Recently, we reported that atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) microinjected into the caudal nucleus tractus solitarii of SHR further blunts this defect. The present study tested the hypothesis that ANP modulates arterial baroreflex-mediated control of sympathetic nervous system activity.

Estrogen reduces myointimal proliferation after balloon injury of rat carotid artery.

Background: Vascular disease progresses more slowly in females with functional ovaries than in males. The mechanisms of this vasoprotective effect of female sex are incompletely understood. This study tested (1) whether there is a sex difference in the development of myointimal proliferation after balloon injury of the rat carotid artery in vivo, (2) whether this response is estrogen or androgen dependent, and (3) whether there is a sexual dimorphism in expression of the c-myc proto-oncogene in intact and/or damaged rat carotid arteries.

Expression of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein alters cellular calmodulin.

Removal of parts of a known calmodulin binding site at the C-terminus of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, gp160, can result in diminished infectivity. We investigated whether expression of full length gp160 would result in changes in intracellular calmodulin compared to expression of gp160 truncated to remove both known calmodulin binding sites. Both Western and Northern blots demonstrated that expression of gp160 led to increased calmodulin when compared to expression of truncated gp160.

The effects of immunosuppressive agents on cytokines.

Controlled clinical trials have shown that several immunosuppressive drugs are efficacious in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. These drugs each have multiple effects on the immune system and the exact mechanism of their beneficial effect in inflammatory bowel disease is unknown. None of these agents directly inhibits the 'inflammatory cytokines' such as IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8, or TNF-alpha.

Stretch modulates amiloride sensitivity and cation selectivity of sodium channels in human B lymphocytes.

Stretch-mediated regulation of amiloride-sensitive Na+ channels was examined in Epstein-Barr virus-transformed human B lymphocytes. Cation conductances were measured using whole cell patch-clamp techniques. Stretch activation, induced by increasing the hydrostatic pressure of the bath solution, immediately and reversibly increased both inward and outward ionic conductances once a threshold of 2-5 mmH2O was reached.

G explained.

This paper presents the hypothesis that the general factor, g, which emerges from psychometric batteries and which has been equated with general intelligence, is the result of a physical brain feature which enhances neural network efficiency and is determined for the brain in general. This conception of intelligence provides a resolution of the unity-versus-modularity debate in the intelligence field and yields specific predictions as to the nature and kind of brain features that will be found to provide a physical explanation for g. To avoid nosological confusion, it is suggested that 'n' be used to represent the neurological concept of general intelligence while 'g' should continue to denote the general factor emerging from mathematical analyses of mental test batteries.

Role of hypertension in chronic renal allograft dysfunction.

The damaging effects of essential hypertension and the central role of the kidney in its pathogenesis have long been recognized. Essential hypertension is the second leading cause of end-stage renal disease in the United States, with its prevalence increasing dramatically over the last decade. Similarly, the role of the transplanted kidney in the pathogenesis of hypertension has been demonstrated in animals and humans.

Leaking gallbladder remnant with cholelithiasis complicating laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Since its introduction in 1989, laparoscopic cholecystectomy has rapidly become the preferred alternative to open cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholelithiasis. Although possible complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy are essentially the same as for open cholecystectomy, we report a case of an inadvertent subtotal cholecystectomy, a complication that we believe has not been previously reported.

Urinary myelin basic protein-like material as a correlate of the progression of multiple sclerosis.

In the multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of alternate-day injections of recombinant interferon beta-1b in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), urine specimens were collected periodically from all patients (n = 64) in two of the clinical test sites over the 2 years of the study. Urine specimens were also collected over two consecutive 24-hour periods from 43 patients from a third center. Urine samples were assayed for their content of myelin basic protein-like material (MBPLM), the level of which was correlated with clinical changes, cranial magnetic resonance imaging results, and the development of progressive disease.

Altered hepatic localization and expression of occludin after common bile duct ligation.

Epithelial tight junctions form a regulated barrier that seals the paracellular space and prevents mixing of luminal contents with the interstitium. This barrier is composed of a group of proteins including the putative "sealing" protein occludin that appears to bind directly to a cytoplasmic junction protein, ZO-1. To study the interaction and regulation of these two components when paracellular integrity is altered, we assessed protein expression and immunofluorescent (IF) localization of ZO-1 and occludin in a rat model of hepatocyte tight junction damage induced by common bile duct ligation (CBDL).

Acute repair of aorta-innominate vein fistulas.

Penetrating wounds of the central vasculature are highly lethal. Ten cases of aorta-left innominate vein fistulas have been reported in the past, but most have presented late after injury. We report three successfully managed cases that had a short interval between injury and repair, and where we used cardiopulmonary bypass with total circulatory arrest.

Utility of posttransplantation panel-reactive antibody measurements for the prediction of rejection frequency and survival of heart transplant recipients.

Background And Methods: Seventy-six heart transplants in 73 patients were studied for the formation of lymphocytotoxic panel-reactive antibodies after transplantation. Treatment of patient serum with dithioerythritol was used to discriminate between antibodies of the immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G isotypes. Human leukocyte antigen specificities of immunoglobulin G panel reactive antibodies were determined by the pattern of reactivity with the cell panel used in the panel-reactive antibodies determinations.

Value-added laboratory medicine in an era of managed care.

Clinical laboratory consultants (M.D.s and Ph.

Left atrial or ventricular cannulation beyond 30 days for a Thoratec ventricular assist device.

The authors used Thoratec left ventricular assist devices (VADs) for more than 30 days in eight patients. There were five left atrial (LA) (total, 513 days; range, 33-202 days) and three left ventricular (LV) cannulations (total, 484 days; range, 44-247 days). The flow provided by LA cannulation was less than that provided by LV cannulation.