Embryonal carcinoma cells are useful in the study of embryogenesis and development, and their differentiation into neurons serves as a model of neuronal development. Retinoic acid was used to differentiate P19S18O1A1 embryonal carcinoma cells into neuronal, glial, and fibroblast-like cells and the phenotype of the neuronal population was examined. Neuron-specific enolase was present in the neuronal cells, suggesting that these neurons had reached some degree of maturity. A population (approximately 70%) of the neurons showed positive immunocytochemistry for tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine beta-hydroxylase and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase, three enzymes in the pathway of catecholamine synthesis. Therefore a population of the neurons appeared to be adrenergic. These neurons also showed a low level of histofluorescence for endogenous catecholamines and exhibited an exogenous catecholamine reuptake system. In order to determine the phenotype of other neuron-like cells found to be negative for the adrenergic properties examined, immunocytochemistry for neuropeptides and neurotransmitters known to coexist within central neurons was performed. Serotonin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, glutamic acid decarboxylase, and choline acetyltransferase were all absent from retinoic acid-treated P19S18O1A1 neuronal cultures. These studies, along with those that compare the effects of retinoic acid and other growth modulators on neuronal differentiation of embryonal carcinoma cells, should aid in the understanding of neuronal induction and development in vivo.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Functional and ultrastructural changes of platelets in malarial infection.

This paper describes changes in the circulating platelets of 25 patients with acute malaria within 2 to 6 days of onset of illness. Thrombocytopenia was observed in 10 out of 15 patients with Plasmodium falciparum infection, and in 4 out of 9 patients with P. vivax infection. One patient with a mixed infection of both species had a disseminated intravascular coagulation. Platelet antibody was detected in the sera of 8 out of 11 cases by the complement lysis inhibition technique and indirect immunofluorescence. The mean platelet antibody concentrations in the sera of 11 patients and 53 control subjects were 122.70 +/- 80.25 ng/10(7) platelets and 36.69 +/- 18.72 ng/10(7) platelets, respectively. An inverse relationship between the platelet count and platelet antibody levels in serum supported the view that thrombocytopenia in malaria may be partly immune-mediated. Platelet aggregation responses to agonists such as ADP, adrenaline, collagen and ristocetin revealed hyperactivity. Ultrastructural study of unstimulated platelets from patients revealed several changes such as centralization of dense granules, glycogen depletion, and formation of pseudopods and microaggregates, indicating in vivo activation of the platelets, which may also lead to thrombocytopenia.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1988

Genetic and molecular characterization of an epidemic plasmid coding for multidrug resistance in Salmonella typhimurium of human origin.

All 201 multidrug resistant Salmonella typhimurium strains isolated from epidemics in India contained nonconjugative (157 strains) or conjugative (44 strains) Inc F1me multiresistance plasmids. Two small R-plasmids of 7 MDa which coded for resistance to either ampicillin or streptomycin and sulfamethoxazole were also detected along with other plasmids. The small plasmids were members of group 1 and group 2 incompatibility groups. Restriction endonuclease analysis of conjugative (96 MDa) and nonconjugative (88 MDa) Inc F1me plasmids showed considerable similarity except for the presence of unique fragments among both the groups and the loss of fragments corresponding to the smaller size of the nonconjugative plasmid. A single Inc F1me plasmid appears responsible for various outbreaks of multiresistant S. typhimurium in different parts of India.

Conjugation, Genetic↗

PubMed1988

Collateral arteries arising from the coronary circulation in tetralogy of Fallot.

Semi-selective aortic root and some selective coronary angiographic studies were performed in 330 patients with tetralogy of Fallot over a period of four years. Collateral vessels arising from the coronary arteries were found in 11 cases and a direct communication between the coronary artery and pulmonary arteries in one case (3.6%). Electrocardiographic features of myocardial ischaemia were not present in any patient. It is important to localize the collateral arteries since coronary steal and myocardial ischaemia have been known to occur in their presence.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1988

Myocardial involvement and its response to immunosuppressive therapy in nonspecific aortoarteritis (Takayasu's disease)--a study by endomyocardial biopsy.

Myocardial involvement in nonspecific aortoarteritis was evaluated in 16 patients (age 7-37 years, 2 males, 14 females) with the help of endomyocardial biopsy obtained from the right ventricle using the Cordis bioptome introduced from the right femoral vein. Morphological features of myocarditis were present in 8, endocardial thickening in 2, mild to moderate myofibre hypertrophy in 11, and a normal biopsy in 3 patients. Myocarditis was present in 8/11 cases with active disease and in none with inactive disease. Five of the 8 patients with myocarditis presented with congestive cardiac failure with 3 of them having no associated hypertension or valvar involvement to account for it. Immunosuppressive therapy was given to all patients with myocarditis. Serial studies (ongoing) showed clinical, haemodynamic and morphological improvement. Myocarditis appears to occur commonly in nonspecific aortoarteritis during the acute phase of the disease and may precipitate congestive cardiac failure in some patients. Immunosuppressive therapy shows promise and merits further evaluation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1988

Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of 2-sulfonamido-1,3,4,6,7,11b alpha-hexahydro-2H-benzo[a]quinolizines as alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists.

A series of 2-sulfonamido-1,3,4,6,7,11b alpha-hexahydro-2H-benzo[a]quinolizines were synthesized and examined for alpha 2- and alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist activity on the rat vas deferens and anococcygeus muscle, respectively. A number of compounds in this series were shown to be potent and selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists. Studies on the resolved enantiomers of compounds 6, 10, and 16 showed that alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist activity resided primarily in the 2R,11bS isomers, related to the absolute configuration of the alpha 2-antagonist yohimbine, such that the benzene ring and sulfonamide groups in this series were superimposable on the pyrrole and ester groups of yohimbine.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Use of human peripheral blood lymphocytes to measure DNA binding capacity of chemical carcinogens.

Although animal models have been used successfully to study metabolic activation and binding of carcinogens to DNA, only limited studies have been done in human systems. To circumvent the problems associated with the inaccessibility of human tissues and a lack of sensitive methods to detect DNA damage, we have investigated the capability of human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro to metabolize carcinogens to their DNA binding species by a 32P-labeled adduct assay. Freshly isolated lymphocytes were exposed at 37 degrees C for 18 hr to 4-aminobiphenyl, 2-aminofluorene, 2-anthramine, 2-acetylaminophenanthrene, benzidine, 1-nitropyrene, 1,2-benzanthracene, triphenylene, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, or benzo[a]pyrene at 30 microM each, compounds that are shown or suspected to be carcinogenic in experimental animals. Anthracene, pyrene, and perylene were included as noncarcinogenic controls. Our data indicate that all test carcinogens formed readily measurable levels of DNA adducts. Analysis of exposed DNAs by 32P-labeling after digestion and adduct enrichment showed exclusively or predominantly one major adduct for all test carcinogens, except for 2-anthramine, triphenylene, and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, which showed two or three adducts, in the range of 8-1500 amol/micrograms of DNA. No DNA binding was detected for the noncarcinogens. From 12 lymphocyte specimens studied thus far, significant interindividual variations were observed for 2-aminofluorene (62-fold), 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (10-fold), benzidine (19-fold) and benzo[a]pyrene (18-fold) in their capacity to bind to the lymphocyte DNA. The lymphocyte system in combination with the 32P-adduct assay may prove to be an ultrasensitive means to determine interindividual variations in the ability to biotransform carcinogens.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1988

Short course chemotherapy in childhood tuberculosis.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Antibiotics, Antitubercular↗

PubMed1988

Survival of Staphylococcus epidermidis on the skin of patients of lepromatous leprosy.

The effect of hydration on Staphylococcus epidermidis, the predominant resident bacterial flora, was studied on skin affected by leprosy and known to have impaired sweating. Normal areas served as control. Significantly higher bacterial counts were observed in affected areas compared with normal-looking skin in 16/19 of the patients. Artificial application of Staph. epidermidis on leprosy-affected and unaffected areas, however, showed equivocal results, as in only 50% of the patients were higher counts obtained in affected compared with unaffected sites. The possible responsible factors for the present observation are discussed.

Bacterial Adhesion↗

PubMed1988

Intraspinal lumbosacral lipoma: review of literature and report of three cases.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Child↗

PubMed1988

Mania following head injury: case reports and neuropsychological findings.

Mania secondary to head injury is reported to be rare. Two cases of florid manic psychoses following head injury are reported along with neurological and neuropsychological investigations. Findings on the Luria Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB) suggested residual cognitive deficits, predominantly of right hemisphere. Temporal proximity, clinical neurological findings, EEG changes and deficits on LNNB suggest a causal link between head injury and mania.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Complete coding region sequence of E beta k cDNA clones: lack of polymorphism in the NH2-terminus between E beta k and E beta b molecules.

Sequence analysis of two independently isolated E beta k cDNA clones revealed that the E beta k molecule is identical to the E beta b molecule at the NH2-terminus. These data resolve a discrepancy between previously published amino acid and nucleotide sequences and indicate that the E beta NH2-terminus is not as polymorphic as was once believed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1988

The determination of atrial arrangement by examination of appendage morphology in 1842 heart specimens.

The morphology of the atrial appendages was examined in 1842 specimen hearts from patients with congenital lesions. The external and internal features that permitted the identification of the right and left appendages were studied in detail in one tenth of the hearts. These results were compared with a similar analysis of 25 normal hearts. This study showed that criteria for identification of right and left appendages were reliable. Application of these criteria to the overall collection identified the usual arrangement in 1776 (97%) hearts, a mirror image arrangement in eight (0.4%); left atrial isomerism in 22 (1.2%); and right atrial isomerism in 36 (1.9%). Fourteen (0.81%) had juxtaposed atrial appendages (13 with usual arrangement and one with left isomerism). This did not interfere with identification of the left and right atria on the basis of appendage morphology. In only two cases did the determination by atrial morphology produce a result that was inconsistent with the arrangement of the other thoracoabdominal organs. Further examination of the atria in these showed a mistake had been made in the initial assessment. The atrial arrangement can be accurately determined by the morphology of the atrial appendages.

Child↗

PubMed1988

Japanese encephalitis--an important cause of acute childhood encephalopathy in Lucknow, India.

Eighty-six randomly selected children between 6 months and 12 years of age admitted with acute unexplained encephalopathy over a one year period were examined for evidence of Japanese encephalitis. One or more indicators of the infection were present in 36 (41.8%). Viral isolation from brain tissue was possible in 2 of 12 patients and from cerebrospinal fluid in 19 out of 62 patients. Serological evidence of probable Japanese encephalitis was found in 21 out of 36 patients. Japanese encephalitis is an important cause of acute childhood encephalopathy in the Lucknow area, where it is probably endemic.

Brain↗