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PubMed1997

Marginal bone level buccal to mandibular molars in digital radiographs from charge-coupled device and storage phosphor systems. An in vitro study.

The aim of this in vitro study was to compare bone loss measurements in the furcation area of mandibular molars in digital radiographs from a CCD-(Sens-A-Ray) and a storage phosphor (Digora) system, 10 1st and 7 2nd mandibular molars, with intact lingual but reduced buccal bone with furcation involvements, were used. Radiographs were first taken with lead markers at the most apical part of the buccal bone and at the cemento-enamel junction. These radiographs were used to establish a radiographically true distance between the CEJ and the buccal bone level. The lead marker at the CEJ served as a reference point for the observers' subsequent estimates of the extent of bone removed, which were made in radiographs without lead markers at the bone level. 1 exposure (400 ms) for the CCD- and 5 (160 ms, 200 ms, 250 ms, 320 ms, 400 ms) for the storage phosphor system were used. Measurements were made in unprocessed (original) and processed images (contrast enhanced and/or high pass filtered). The results showed underestimation of bone loss, but smaller than previously reported for film radiographs. No significant difference was found between the 2 systems when compared at the same exposure. Nor were any significant differences found between unprocessed and processed images or between storage phosphor images from different exposures. We conclude that digital radiographs are comparable to film based radiographs for measurement of buccal bone loss but that lower exposures can be used, especially with the storage phosphor system.

Alveolar Bone Loss↗
PubMed1997

A ruptured aneurysm at the distal end of the basilar artery fenestration associated with multiple fenestrations of the vertebrobasilar system: case report.

BACKGROUND: An aneurysm at the fenestrated basilar artery usually arises at the proximal end of the fenestration, with few exceptions. We failed to reveal any case of aneurysm at this site associated with multiple fenestrations of the vertebrobasilar system. CASE REPORT: This 62-year-old male was admitted to our hospital 1 day after a sudden onset of headache. CT scan showed subarachnoid hemorrhage, and angiogram revealed an aneurysm at the distal end of the fenestrated basilar artery in association with two other fenestrations of the vertebrobasilar system. The limb of the basilar artery fenestration was trapped tightly with one clip through the transcondylar approach. Postoperative course was uneventful, and postoperative angiogram showed complete disappearance of the aneurysm. CONCLUSION: An extremely rare case of an aneurysm at the distal end of the fenestrated basilar artery in association with multiple fenestrations of the vertebrobasilar system is reported. The coexistence of vertebral artery fenestration and the fenestration of the vertebrobasilar junction may give a clue to the mechanism of occurrence of basilar artery fenestration.

Aneurysm, Ruptured↗
PubMed1992

Monoclonal antibody MT2 identifies an extracellular matrix glycoprotein that is co-localized with tenascin during adult newt limb regeneration.

Using immunohistochemical techniques and mAb MT2, we describe here a novel extracellular matrix (ECM) molecule that is developmentally regulated during limb regeneration in adult newts. The MT2 antigen appears during preblastema stages, is most abundant during blastema stages, and persists, near undifferentiated cells, until digit stages. The MT2 antigen is located in an acellular layer under the wound epithelium and throughout the ECM of the undifferentiated mesenchyme as a thick, cord-like component. In unamputated limbs mAb MT2 reactivity is restricted to tendons, myotendinous junctions, periosteum and to a layer of material beneath the epidermis. In both unamputated limbs and regenerating limbs, the reactivity to mAb MT2 colocalizes closely with urodele tenascin. Immunoblot analysis of blastema extracts showed that the unreduced form of the MT2 antigen is a large, polydispersed protein of approximately the same size as tenascin. However, based upon (a) molecular weights of reduced subunits, (b) competition experiments on tissue sections, and (c) analysis of molecules immunoprecipitated by mAb MT2, we conclude that the MT2 substance is unrelated biochemically to tenascin. The results from immunoblots, enzyme digestions and DEAE-Sephacell binding studies suggest that the unreduced MT2 antigen is a large protein composed of subunits which are connected by disulfide bonds. Reduction of the MT2 antigen results in three components recognized by mAb MT2. The largest of these reduced components is a chondroitin sulfate-like glycoprotein with a molecular weight (Mr) of 310-325 x 10(3). A second component (Mr, 285-300 x 10(3)) is the core protein of the 310-325 x 10(3) glycoprotein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Subarachnoid hemorrhage: assessment in the acute phase with angiography, with high-resolution magnetic resonance (angio-MR)].

Previous reports demonstrated that Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) is a reliable means of diagnosing intracerebral aneurysms. However, in these early studies MRA was performed in patients with cerebral aneurysms already proved by intraarterial angiography. Our study was aimed at investigating the clinical feasibility and the diagnostic accuracy of high-resolution MRA in patients with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage. Twenty-five patients (15 women, 10 men) with CT diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage were prospectively examined with high-resolution MRA within 24 hours of bleeding. All patients underwent intraarterial digital subtraction angiography (IA DSA) immediately after MRA examination. MRA studies were performed with a 1.5-T unit. MRA examinations of the cerebral vessels consisted of axial excitation of two 50-mm volume slabs, with 25% overlap, covering the cerebral circulation from the vertebro-basilar junction to the pericallosal artery. Pulse sequence variables were optimized to reduce voxel size (0.62 x 0.62 x 0.78) and to increase spatial resolution (160-mm FOV, 256 x 256 matrix, 0.78-mm slice thickness) while keeping S/N ratio high. The maximum intensity projection (MIP) reconstruction algorithm was used. The examination lasted nearly 20 minutes. Four MRA examinations (16%) were considered inadequate for diagnosis because of motion artifacts. High-resolution MRA detected 20 of 21 aneurysms in 17 patients, with 1 false positive and 1 false negative. Two patients had multiple aneurysms, 2 and 4 respectively, all of them detected by MRA. No cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage was found by IA DSA in 4 patients, while MRA studies were considered negative in 3 patients. Nineteen aneurysms were surgically clipped, while 2 basilar artery aneurysms were occluded by intravascular treatment. MRA and DSA findings were compared with surgical findings. Relative to IA DSA, MRA exhibited 95% sensitivity and 95% specificity. Aneurysm size ranged 2-10 mm: the smallest aneurysm detected by MRA was 2.5 mm. Anatomical and morphological agreement between MRA and IA DSA was excellent, with only slight MRA underestimation of the aneurysm size in 25% of cases and overestimation in 15% of cases. The aneurysm neck was shown by MRA in 60% and by IA DSA in 81% of cases. High-resolution MRA proved to be especially useful in complex anatomical sites where the direction of the aneurysm could be clearly demonstrated through the accurate selection of the appropriate projection angle and the careful examination of direct axial images.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Congenital atrioventricular junction tachycardia. Favorable response to anti-arrhythmia agents].

The congenital junctional ectopic tachycardia, is an unusual tachyarrhythmia, with early clinic manifestation and poor antiarrhythmic drugs response with a great infant mortality reaching rates of 35%. It deserves a special attention in its timely detection as well as in its appropriate handling with different modalities of pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapy. We reported two cases in which age of presentation of tachyarrhythmia was at three months and whose particularity was the good response to antiarrhythmic drugs; verapamil and later propafenone, used for the acute stages and a combination of propafenone plus propranolol initially for the chronic stage. Due to intolerance it was necessary to change the treatment after a year for sotalol and digital with good response. We review the literature about this topic.

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents↗
PubMed2001

Identification and implications of transgraft microleaks after endovascular repair of aortic aneurysms.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this report is to describe an interesting cause of endoleak and detail-specific techniques for identifying small transgraft defects, which we have termed microleaks. METHODS: Four patients underwent endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms with modular nitinol/polyester endoprostheses and were studied after 6 to 30 months. All patients were enrolled in standard follow-up radiographic surveillance protocols. RESULTS: Three of the four abdominal aortic aneurysms continued to expand after endograft repair. Standard computed tomography imaging with precontrast, dynamic contrast, and delayed imaging frequently identifies endoleak, although it fails to precisely identify microleaks as the source. Color flow duplex ultrasound scan was performed on three patients and perigraft "jets," small areas of color flow adjacent to the endograft, were identified in all. Microleaks were identified in one patient who underwent digital subtraction arteriography with directed efforts to completely opacify the prosthesis lumen and multiple oblique projections. In another patient, contrast arteriography with balloon occlusion of the distal endograft clearly depicted midgraft microleaks that might otherwise be mistaken for graft porosity or cuff junction endoleaks. No microleaks were diagnosed on angiograms when these directed efforts were not performed. Aneurysm exploration before aortic clamping provided conclusive determination of the presence of blood flow through the wall of the endoprosthesis in two patients. CONCLUSIONS: Microleaks occur up to 2.5 years after endovascular repair of aortic aneurysms. Although computed tomography demonstrates the presence of an endoleak in these patients, the exact site of origin usually remains obscure. Doppler ultrasound scan and directed arteriography appear to be of greater utility for identifying the presence and location of microleaks. Balloon occlusion arteriography and aneurysm exploration without arterial clamping provide definitive evidence of microleaks. Although the clinical significance of microleaks remains unclear, long-term monitoring of patients is imperative to diagnose and treat these and other modes of endograft failure before they progress to aneurysm rupture.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Transcranial color Doppler flow imaging in detecting severe stenosis of the intracranial vertebral artery: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this prospective study were to investigate the manifestations of the hemodynamics and morphology of a normal intracranial vertebral artery (VA) and diffusely severe or localized critical vertebral artery stenosis (VAS) on transcranial color Doppler flow imaging (TCDFI) and to discuss the criteria of TCDFI in detecting severe VAS. METHODS: There were 30 patients suspected of having an intracranial VAS in a patient group and 30 healthy volunteers in a control group. All the patients underwent both TCDFI and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). The intracranial VA was imaged through the suboccipital window by TCDFI. The size and tortuousness of the vessels were observed. The hemodynamics of those vessels were measured by means of peak systolic velocity (PSV) and pulsatility index (PI). RESULTS: In the control group, the VA junction with basilar artery appeared as Y shaped and filled with well-distributed blue coded on color imaging, which showed flow below the baseline with fast early systolic acceleration, and normal PSV ranged from 0.42 to 0.80 m/s on pulse wave Doppler. In the patients with diffusely severe VAS (>70% lumen reduction, the length of plaque >1 cm or multiple plaques) or localized critical VAS (>90% lumen reduction) diagnosed by TCDFI and confirmed with DSA, a narrowed and tortuous VA was demonstrated with minimal flow on color Doppler imaging and decreased 50% of normal PSV and PSV <0.30 m/s accompanied by slow early systolic acceleration on Doppler spectrum. There was a significant difference (P<.05 or P<.01) in the hemodynamic parameters (PSV and PI) between patients with severe VAS and healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: TCDFI is a useful noninvasive tool in assessing the hemodynamics of intracranial arteries. The sensitivity was 90.9% and the specificity was 75.0% by using PSV <0.30 m/s and 50% reduction of normal PSV as low cutoff criteria in the diagnosis of diffusely severe or localized critical VAS with TCDFI.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Anatomical bases of peritoneal permeability: a reappraisal. Anatomy of peritoneum.

The peritoneal membrane consists of flat mesothelial cells linked together with digitations and containing vesiculae with pinocytic capacity, of endothelial cells (containing Weibel-Palade's bodies and vesiculae) and of an interstitial tissue consisting of a network of watery channels. The cellular structures of mesothelium and endothelium are characterized by tight and gap junctions or perhaps by macular junctions. The visceral peritoneum shows a prevalence of gap junctions, the pericysic veins contain only tight junctions while both types can be found in the arterioles. Two different ways for solute transport are theoretically possible: the vesicles of plasmalemma (via pinocytosis) and the junctions (via size-sieving effect). Studies with tracers did not furnish unequivocal data on this problem and did not clarify if these structures could be the equivalent of the pores of the Landis-Pappenheimer's theory. The studies of Karnowsky and Simionescu, using tracers, have in fact given opposite results.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

A low-cost solution to measure mouse licking in an electrophysiological setup with a standard analog-to-digital converter.

Licking behavior in rodents is widely used to determine fluid consumption in various behavioral contexts and is a typical example of rhythmic movement controlled by internal pattern-generating mechanisms. The measurement of licking behavior by commercially available instruments is based on either tongue protrusion interrupting a light beam or on an electrical signal generated by the tongue touching a metal spout. We report here that licking behavior can be measured with high temporal precision by simply connecting a metal sipper tube to the input of a standard analog/digital (A/D) converter and connecting the animal to ground (via a metal cage floor). The signal produced by a single lick consists of a 100-800 mV dc voltage step, which reflects the metal-to-water junction potential and persists for the duration of the tongue-spout contact. This method does not produce any significant electrical artifacts and can be combined with electrophysiological measurements of single unit activity from neurons involved in the control of the licking behavior.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2006

Correlation between carotid area calcifications and periodontitis: a retrospective study of digital panoramic radiographic findings in pretreatment cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of carotid area calcifications retrospectively detected on digital panoramic radiographs of pretreatment cancer subjects, and to correlate the finding of such calcifications with radiographic evidence of periodontal bone loss in the same subjects. STUDY DESIGN: Digital panoramic radiographs of 201 subjects were evaluated for calcifications projected in the carotid artery bifurcation area as well as for alveolar bone loss as a result of periodontal disease. Inclusion criteria were unobscured carotid artery bifurcation regions bilaterally and sufficient index teeth present with a definable cemento-enamel junction and alveolar crest. Radiographs were independently observed for carotid area calcifications and for periodontal status. Image enhancements permitted for detection of calcifications projected in the carotid area included window/level, inverse, and emboss. Periodontal measurements were made on index teeth using proprietary imaging software and a mouse-driven measurement algorithm. A 3-factor analysis of variance was performed with 3 between-subjects comparisons. Percentage of bone loss was the dependent variable. Independent variables were age, subject sex, and the presence or absence of carotid area calcifications. RESULTS: Differences measured in percentage of bone loss between sexes were not statistically significant. While bone loss did increase with age, comparison of the mean bone loss of each age category revealed no statistical significance. There was a highly significant correlation between carotid artery area calcifications visible on panoramic radiographs and percent alveolar bone loss. Radiographs showing unilateral and bilateral calcifications had a mean percent bone loss of 24.2% +/- 12.6% and 25.7% +/- 13.0% respectively, compared to those with no calcification at 10.4% +/- 9.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly 1 in 4 subjects in this study evidenced calcifications projected in the carotid bifurcation region. The finding of such calcifications was significantly related to the calculated percentage of alveolar bone loss.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

Age changes in neuromuscular junctions of masseter muscle.

There is little information regarding the relationship between aging and ensuing morphological changes in the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) of the masticatory muscle. The masseter of C57BL/6J male mice at three different ages (young adult, 6 months; mature adult, 12 months; and old, 30 months) was studied. Morphological measurements were taken from zinc iodide osmium stained NMJ. Camera lucida drawings were superimposed on a computer monitor via a video camera and traced using a digitizer. The data were treated statistically using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). No difference was found between 6 and 12 months of age, but a significant decrease in morphological parameters in NMJ from 30-month-old animals was found when compared with mature adult animals. Nerve terminal areas, perimeters, longitudinal extent lengths, and fiber diameters were reduced by 24%, 21%, 15.5% and 23%, respectively. Nerve terminal branches and incidence of sprouts were significantly increased in older animals. Age changes in the NMJ morphology are probably associated with altered balance between degeneration and regeneration of nerve terminals. This view is supported by increased terminal sprouting in old mice which is indicative of the plasticity or remodelling of NMJ during aging.

Aging↗
PubMed1994

Intrapelvic pressure monitoring in the partially obstructed porcine kidney.

OBJECTIVES: The diagnosis of urinary obstruction in newborns and infants remains difficult because the diagnostic studies available at present are fraught with many problems. It is our premise that precise measurement of renal pelvic pressures under physiologic conditions in patients with urinary tract dilation will allow diagnosis of obstruction and prediction of further renal damage. This study evaluates an intrapelvic pressure monitoring system. METHODS: Four porcine subjects had partial ureteropelvic junction obstruction created surgically; two subjects were used as controls. Doppler ultrasound and MAG-3 furosemide renography were performed preoperatively and each week pressures were measured with a Millar 5 F solid-state pressure transducer and the analog signals were converted on line to digital information to allow signal processing and later data analysis. Antegrade nephrostograms were obtained at the same sitting and showed that the model remained stable over time. Measurements were obtained at physiologic flow rates as well as at the standard Whitaker infusion rate of 10 cc/min. RESULTS: Thirteen pressure studies were performed on 9 kidneys. Each study was classified as normal (4), partial obstruction (8), or total obstruction (1), based on ultrasound and nephrostogram criteria. The normal units had baseline pressures of 4.12 +/- 0.94 cm water (H2O), which increased to 9.12 +/- 1.38 cm H2O with infusion. In the partially obstructed group, baseline was 16.4 +/- 3.83 cm H2O and increased to 35.3 +/- 15.9 cm H2O with infusion. The kidney with total obstruction showed a baseline pressure of 27 cm H2O, which increased to 68 cm H2O with infusion. These pressure measurements were also compared to furosemide renography. CONCLUSIONS: Intrapelvic pressures correlated well with conventional ultrasound and nephrostogram in the evaluation of partial obstruction. However, the results of furosemide renography and the Whitaker test were quite variable and did not accurately define partial obstruction or correlate with intrapelvic pressure. The Millar solid-state transducer monitoring system is an accurate method of evaluating the intrapelvic pressure and could possibly become a standard for diagnosing significant urinary obstruction against which other studies can be evaluated.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

One-dimensional GIS-based model compared with a two-dimensional model in urban floods simulation.

A GIS-based one-dimensional flood simulation model is presented and applied to the centre of the city of Nîmes (Gard, France), for mapping flow depths or velocities in the streets network. The geometry of the one-dimensional elements is derived from the Digital Elevation Model (DEM). The flow is routed from one element to the next using the kinematic wave approximation. At the crossroads, the flows in the downstream branches are computed using a conceptual scheme. This scheme was previously designed to fit Y-shaped pipes junctions, and has been modified here to fit X-shaped crossroads. The results were compared with the results of a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model based on the full shallow water equations. The comparison shows that good agreements can be found in the steepest streets of the study zone, but differences may be important in the other streets. Some reasons that can explain the differences between the two models are given and some research possibilities are proposed.

Cities↗
PubMed1987

Human postjunctional alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenoceptors: differential distribution in arteries of the limbs.

Experiments were performed in order to characterize the post-junctional alpha adrenoceptors that mediate contraction in arteries of human limbs. Blood vessels were obtained from patients undergoing amputation of an extremity for reasons other than vascular disease. Proximal (dorsalis pedis and arcuate arteries of the foot, superficial palmer arch of the hand) and distal (digital arteries of the foot and hand) blood vessels were studied from each limb. The blood vessels were removed within 60 min of amputation and were suspended for isometric tension recording in modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution. In proximal and distal arteries, alpha-1 adrenergic blockade with prazosin produced a nonparallel shift in the concentration-effect curve to high compared to low concentrations of the agonist. In contrast, alpha-2 adrenergic blockade with rauwolscine was more effective against responses evoked by low concentrations of norepinephrine. This suggests that the alpha-2 adrenergic component of the response to norepinephrine is a low-maximum effect compared to the alpha-1 adrenergic component. Prazosin was less potent and rauwolscine more potent in distal arteries, compared to proximal arteries which might indicate an increased alpha-2 adrenergic response in distal arteries. The selective alpha-1 adrenergic agonist, phenylephrine, produced similar responses in proximal and distal arteries. However, the selective alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, B-HT 920, caused greater contractile responses in distal arteries compared to proximal arteries. The results suggest that alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenoceptors are present on the vascular smooth muscle of arteries of human limbs, and that alpha-2 adrenoceptors are more prominent on distal arteries. This may be related to an increased contribution of the distal arteries to thermoregulation.

Arm↗
PubMed1998

Comparison of 2 regenerative procedures--guided tissue regeneration and demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft--in the treatment of intrabony defects: a clinical and radiographic study.

The purpose of this study was to compare clinically and radiographically the effectiveness of guided tissue regeneration (GTR), using a bioabsorbable polylactic acid softened with citric acid ester barrier and commercially available demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (DFDBA) in the treatment of 2- and 3-wall intrabony defects. Twelve patients each with one treated defect comprised each group. Conservative treatment was completed 2 to 4 months prior to surgery. Clinical measurements, plaque index, gingival index, probing depths (PD), clinical attachment levels (CAL) and recession (REC), were comparable in both groups at baseline. They were repeated at 12 months. Surgical measurements were also comparable at baseline in both groups. In the GTR group, at baseline the mean distance between the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) and base of the defect was 12.3 +/- 2.9 mm and in the DFDBA group 11.3 +/- 1.8 mm. The defect depth was 6.3 +/- 2.0 mm and 5.4 +/- 1.3 mm, respectively. Radiographs were taken at baseline and 12 months later and compared using non-standardized digital subtraction radiography. In the GTR group, mean PD decreased from 7.9 +/- 2.5 mm to 3.5 +/- 1.4 mm and mean CAL from 10.8 +/- 2.8 mm to 7.0 +/- 1.6 mm, the differences being statistically significant (P = 0.002), while REC increased from 2.9 +/- 1.2 mm to 3.5 +/- 1.1 mm. In the DFDBA group, mean PD decreased from 7.1 +/- 1.1 mm to 3.5 +/- 1.1 mm and mean CAL from 9.8 +/- 1.5 mm to 6.6 +/- 1.7 mm (P = 0.002), while REC increased from 2.8 +/- 1.0 mm to 3.1 +/- 1.2 mm. No significant differences were found when the clinical results of the 2 groups were compared. Radiographic differences between the baseline and reconstructed images 12 months later were observed in both groups. Mean crestal bone resorption was 15.3 +/- 22.5% in the GTR group and 10.4 +/- 31.8% in the DFDBA group, and mean improvement in the distance between the CEJ and the base of the defect was 22.8 +/- 18.1% in the GTR group and 15.3 +/- 13.6% in the DFDBA group. However, the mean improvement in the intrabony depth was larger in the GTR group (71.9 +/- 29.1%) than in the DFDBA group (35.4 +/- 21.6%) (P = 0.007). In conclusion, within the limits of this study, both regenerative procedures were beneficial in treating intrabony defects. No statistical significant differences were observed between the 2 groups, with the exception of radiographic defect resolution which was significantly greater in the GTR group.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Morphometry of the brainstem with transverse section of the upper pons].

The authors developed new method of morphometry in the brainstem, which used transverse section of the upper pons. After fixation with formalin, the brainstem was separated from the cerebrum and the cerebellum. Both junctions of midbrain-pons and pons-medulla were cut and then the pons was horizontally separated into four slices. The oral surface of the second slice from oral side, in which the central portion of the locus ceruleus is located, was measured with computed digitizer after enlarging the picture. The authors measured the total size of the slice in the pons (Total S), the tegmentum size (Teg S), the total length (Total L), the tegmentum length (Teg L) and so on. The tegmentum was separated from the base along the ventral line of the medial leminiscus. In the study of 23 control cases (16 to 77 year old, 13 male and 10 female, all were Japanese), Total S (563 +/- 85 mm) and Teg S (136 +/- 19 mm) ranged to some extent, while the percentage of the tegmentum size to the total size (Teg S/Total S X 100: %Teg S) distributed in narrow range (24.4 +/- 2.3%), which was considered to be an appropriate index to reveal normal structure of the upper pons. The percentage of the tegmentum length to the total length (%Teg L) was also an appropriate and a simple index. Using this method to stained preparation, it was confirmed that the tegmentum size of such cases with olivopontocerebellar atrophy or infantile spasms were significantly small.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Quantitative determination of gap junction intercellular communication by scrape loading and image analysis.

Gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) consists of intercellular exchange of low molecular weight molecules. Chemically induced alterations of this communication have been suggested to result in abnormal cell growth and tumour promotion. Several in vitro assays have been developed to determine the effect of chemicals on gap junction communication in cultured cells. The scrape loading dye transfer technique is based on studying the transfer of the fluorescent dye Lucifer Yellow in cells where the dye is loaded through a cut in the cell monolayer. This technique is rapid and relatively uncomplicated, but has only been used to qualitatively demonstrate communication, due to lack of an appropriate method for quantification of the dye spreading. We show here that analysis of digital fluorescence images of cells scrape loaded with Lucifer Yellow can be used for quantitative determination of GJIC. We have analysed the images both by means of distance of diffusion of the dye in the cell monolayer, as well as by area of dye-coupled cells. The results are consistent with that obtained using microinjection of Lucifer Yellow and the method offers a simple way for quantitative determination of GJIC.

Animals↗