To elucidate the radiological features of spondylolysis of the three upper lumbar vertebrae, review of radiology reports during an 8-year period was performed. Among 17 levels of defects in 14 patients, nine were unilateral. Among 25 defects, nine had an atypical course. In eight of nine atypical defects, the direction was vertical at the inferolateral aspect, and horizontal at the superomedial aspect. The spondylolysis of the upper lumbar spine is often unilateral and the course of the defect is frequently atypical.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Familial occurrence of telangiectatic osteosarcoma: cousin cases.

Familial occurrence of osteosarcoma is rare. We report cousin cases, an 11-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy with telangiectatic osteosarcoma. The tumors occurred in the metaphysis of the distal tibia and the lamina of thoracic vertebra. The local behaviors appeared aggressive, but the clinical courses were relatively indolent in both cases. The histologic features were similar, showing anaplastic tumor cells producing osteoid and proliferation of blood cavities. Clustering of malignancies within a family suggests the presence of a genetic factor.

Bone Neoplasms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Nitazoxanide, a nitrothiazolide antiparasitic drug, is an anti-Helicobacter pylori agent with anti-vacuolating toxin activity.

Nitazoxanide (NTZ), a synthesized drug of the nitrothiazolide class, was initially developed as an antiparasitic compound. This compound has recently been shown to have antibacterial activities against some bacterial pathogens. In the present study, NTZ and its main metabolite tizoxanide (TIZ) were found to have strong minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against both metronidazole (MTZ)-resistant strains and sensitive clinical isolates of Helicobacter pylori. The MIC90 of both NTZ and TIZ against 37 clinical isolates was 8 microg/ml. Vacuolating toxin activity of H. pylori assayed by HeLa cell vacuole formation was inhibited by NTZ at a sub-MIC. In contrast, urease production by H. pylori was not specifically affected by the sub-MIC of NTZ. An acidic pH (pH 5.0) medium reduced the antimicrobial activity of the drug in terms of growth inhibition due to the low growth rate of the bacteria, but killing activity of NTZ against the bacteria was still observed. Thus, it was apparent that both NTZ and TIZ are highly effective against H. pylori, even when the bacteria are resistant to MTZ.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Endoscopic prediction of tumor depth of gastric carcinoma for assessing the indication of its limited resection.

Limited surgery for an early gastric carcinoma is advocated, since certain carcinomas have no nodal involvement. However, the endoscopic accuracy of distinguishing each cancer-depth has not been detailed from the standpoint of limited surgery. We retrospectively reviewed a total of 2,628 patients to assess the diagnostic accuracy of their endoscopic infiltration-depth with the nature of the tumors. Endoscopic distinction of early from advanced carcinomas was satisfactory with a reliability of 86.5%, sensitivity of 87.1%, and specificity of 85.9%. In the 1,354 early gastric carcinomas the microscopic infiltration-depth was significantly related to macroscopic appearance, histologic differentiation and tumor size. Accompanying ulcer or scar significantly suggested that the carcinoma had spread vertically and horizontally. Macroscopically elevated and differentiated carcinomas without ulcer are usually limited to the mucosa, and undifferentiated and/or ulcer-positive carcinomas are more invasive than predicted by most present clinical standards. Endoscopically differential diagnosis of the infiltration-depth of gastric carcinomas is reliable, and the indication for limited surgery can be endoscopically determined in many individual patients.

Biopsy↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids on 7,12 dimethylbenz (a) anthracene-induced mammary tumorigenesis.

Numerous studies have consistently shown that vegetable oils containing linoleic acid enhance mammary tumorigenesis more effectively than fish oils containing eicosapentaenoic and docohexaenoic acids. The purpose of this investigation was to study these and additional n-3 and n-6 PUFA, e.g., a-linolenic (a-LN) (18:3 n-3) and gamma-linolenic (GLA) (18:3 n-6) acid. Different oils were used as dietary sources of fatty acids: corn (CO) (61% LA); blackcurrant (BCO) (44% LA, 18% GLA and 16% a-LN); fish oil (FO) (mixed with corn oil, 12% LA and 24% EPA + DPA + DHA). Thirty-five-day-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 5 dietary treatment groups and were allowed to feed ab libitum on one of the test diets: I. BCO (23.5%); II. CO (23.5%); III. BCO (15.5%) + FO (8%); IV. FO (20.5%) + CO (3%); and V. BCO (20.5%) + FO (3%). From 48 to 52 days of age, rats in all five groups were fed rat chow. At 50 days of age, all rats were given 5 mg DMBA by oral intubation, and 2 days later the test diets were resumed until termination of the experiment. Analysis of tumor incidence, and multiplicity data for 5 diet groups indicated that rats fed 23.5% CO (II) exhibited enhanced mammary tumor yields when compared to animals on the remaining 4 diets in the order II greater than I, III, V greater than IV. Since the level of fat (23.5% w/w) was similar in all 5 diets, and body weight gain was in the order IV greater than II greater than I, the results of this study indicate that differences in tumor yields were related to fatty acid composition of diets. In support of this conclusion, fatty acid profiles of RBC and tumor phosphoglycerides reflected dietary fatty acid composition. In groups I and II, even though tumor levels of LA were similar, the levels of GLA, DHLA (20:3 n-6) and a-LN were higher in I compared to II, suggesting that these differences may be associated with lower yields of DMBA-induced mammary tumors in group I. Incorporation of marine type n-3 PUFA (EPA, DPA and DHA) in tumor PL was greater in Group IV compared to plant type n-3 PUFA (a-LN) in Groups I, III, and V. Since tumor yields were the lowest in Group IV, these results suggest that incorporation of marine type n-3 PUFA into cell membranes does not favor development of DMBA-induced mammary tumors.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The effects of cobra venom factor, an inhibitor of the complement system, on the sequence of morphological events in the rat kidney in experimental pyelonephritis.

Acute experimental pyelonephritis has been produced by a combination of mechanical ureteral obstruction and intravenous injection of E. coli (strain IMRU-54). The effects of administration of cobra venom factor, an inhibitor of the complement system, on the sequence of morphologic events in the kidneys have been studied by light and electron microscopy.Pronounced bacterial colonization and suppression of the infiltration of acute inflammatory cells into the kidney were present in the cobra venom factor treated rats on day 2. In these rats, in which the infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes was inhibited, renal structural damage was significantly reduced. The findings appear to indicate that the polymorphonuclear leukocytes infiltrating into the kidney play some role in damaging the renal parenchymal tissue in the early phase of E. coli induced acute pyelonephritis in rats.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Serotonin metabolism and its enzymic activities in joint diseases.

In order to clearly understand the synovial metabolic pathway of 5-HT, which is interesting as an inflammatory mediator and a pain producing substance, in patients with RA and with OA, determinations were made of 5-HIAA levels and of the activities of MAO-A and MAO-B, in the synovial fluid and the blood. With respect to 5-HIAA levels, there was no significant difference in the synovial levels between patients with RA and those with OA, although higher values were obtained in the plasma of patients with RA. A correlation was found between synovial and plasma levels in both diseases. In patients with RA, 5-HIAA levels tended to increase in both levels of the synovial fluid and the plasma in higher stages. The activities of MAO-A and MAO-B in the synovial fluid were found to be lower in patients with RA than in those with OA. The MAO-B activity in the synovial fluid increased in higher stages and correlated with ESR in patients with RA. In patients with RA the efflux of 5-HIAA from the synovial fluid was reduced. No remarkable changes occurred in the permeability of 5-HIAA. The ability to inactivate 5-HT was lower than in OA. The determination of synovial MAO-B activity is useful in diagnosing the status of the patient with respect to rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Phagocytosis of E. coli by renal tubular epithelia.

Despite significant advances in our understanding or renal tubular cell function, the in vivo handling of E. coli by renal tubules has not been previously investigated. The present studies were, therefore, designed to study this aspect of nephron function. Live and dead E. coli and vehicle alone were microinjected into the proximal tubular lumen of a single nephron of rats, and the microinjected tubules were morphologically studied at one-half, two, four, and six hours after. The bacteria initially contacted the luminal cell membrane. The luminal cell membrane adjacent to the bacteria subsequently invaginated, and both live and dead E. coli eventually became internalized into the tubular epithelial cytoplasm. Since dead E. coli are unlikely to invade the cells, their intracytoplasmic localization is a result of tubular epithelial phagocytosis. Similar microinjections of dead E. coli together with rat erythrocytes revealed a preferential phagocytosis of dead E. coli. Examination of the microinjected nephron with dead E. coli 48 hours after also demonstrated a development of microscopic interstitial nephritis surrounding the microinjected tubule. In conclusion, the renal tubular epithelia of the proximal and distal segments of rat nephron have phagocytic potential for E. coli which are further capable of inducing an inflammatory reaction around the microinjected tubule.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Human alpha-1-antichymotrypsin enhances primary antibody response in the mouse.

The effect of human alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (alpha-1-Achy) on antibody response was studied in mice. alpha-1-Achy increased the number of antisheep erythrocyte antibody-producing cells. The increase was dependent on the dose of alpha-1-Achy injected (from 0.25 to 1 mg par mouse). alpha-1-Achy was effective if injected 2 days before or simultaneously with sheep erythrocytes. Asialylated alpha-1-Achy also enhanced the antibody response in the same way as native alpha-1-Achy. When alpha-1-Achy was heated at 60 degrees C for 15 min, it appeared to maintain immunoenhancing activity. However, when treated at 70 degrees C for 15 min, an intermediate immunoenhancing activity was observed, and heating at 100 degrees C for 15 min resulted in loss of activity.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Stimulation by epigallocatechin gallate of interleukin-1 production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

(-) Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) potently stimulated the production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The intracellular amounts of IL-1 beta and especially IL-1 alpha induced by EGCg, were significantly higher than their extracellular counterparts. ECCg stimulated the production of adherent cells, with IL-1 producing capacity (per cell basis) that was significantly higher than nonadherent cells. Although IL-1 alpha mRNA synthesis (assessed by Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction) was slightly enhanced, IL-1 beta mRNA synthesis was not significantly enhanced by EGCg treatment. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) also stimulated the production of IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta production, but failed to induce the adherent cells. These data suggest that EGCg and LPS stimulate mononuclear cells by different mechanisms.

Antineoplastic Agents↗