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PubMed1994

Somatic stimulation reduces perception of gut distention in humans.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Perception of gut symptoms may depend on visceral sensory modulation, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Based on somatosensory data, we hypothesized that somatic stimulation modulates perception of gut stimuli. METHODS: Perception and gut reflexes were measured in 8 healthy subjects in response to increasing gastric and duodenal distentions (stimulus-response trials) performed alone or with simultaneous application on the hand of either low (just perceivable) or high (nonpainful) transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (100 Hz, 100 microseconds). Fixed pressure distentions were performed in stepwise increments by gastric and duodenal barostats to determine the respective thresholds for discomfort. Perception was measured by a questionnaire, and gut reflex responses were measured as isobaric volume changes by the barostats. Individual stimuli of 2 minutes' duration were randomly applied at 10-minute intervals. RESULTS: Somatic stimuli increased the tolerance to gut distention, and this effect was more pronounced with high stimuli. The gastric threshold for discomfort was 7.3 +/- 0.5 mm Hg with high stimuli vs. 5.5 +/- 0.2 mm Hg without stimuli, and the duodenal discomfort threshold was 15.5 +/- 1.5 mm Hg with high stimuli vs. 13.5 +/- 1.4 mm Hg without stimuli; P < 0.05 for both. Somatic stimuli modified neither basal gut tone nor the relaxatory duodenogastric reflex induced by duodenal distention (gastric expansion by 203 +/- 48 mL with high stimuli and 208 +/- 73 mL without stimuli). CONCLUSIONS: Somatic stimulation reduces perception of gut distention without interfering with local and reflex gut responses.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

The use of somatic antigen of Haemophilus influenzae for the monitoring of T cell-mediated skin test reactivity in man.

To investigate its usefulness as a skin test antigen, Haemophilus influenzae somatic antigen was tested in 28 healthy individuals, both in soluble and aggregated form. All subjects were found to possess specific antibodies against H. influenzae of both IgG and IgM subclass, thus showing their previous exposure to this commensal micro-organism. The somatic antigen in solution was found to be a poor antigen for eliciting a delayed hypersensitivity skin response: only 2 out of 16 subjects reacted with a positive DTH pattern. In contrast, 25 out of 28 persons showed a positive DTH pattern when somatic antigen was used in aggregated form. Two types of DTH reaction patterns could be detected (in a ratio of approximately 3:2), viz. those with an early (24 h) and those with a late (48 h) maximal swelling. Histology of 3 early and 1 late DTH reaction showed perivascular infiltrates of mainly Thelper/Tinducer lymphocytes. Hardly any basophils were seen. One negative skin test, biopsied at 6 h, showed no signs of Arthus reactivity. It can be concluded that skin tests using the aggregated form of the somatic antigen of H. influenzae are useful for assaying specific T-cell-mediated reactivity in man.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1986

Auditory evoked response potentials in somatization disorder.

Event related potentials to frequently and infrequently occurring tones were recorded from 15 patients with somatization disorder, 10 patients with anxiety disorders and 15 normals. P3 component responses were of normal latency and amplitude in the somatizers, which suggests they had no apparent difficulty with certain aspects of processing novel, task-relevant stimuli. However, their N1 component responses to the frequent tones, which subjects had been instructed to ignore, were enhanced relative to each of the other groups. Moreover, there was no difference in N1 amplitude to the two types of tones among the somatizers, whereas each of the other groups had significantly larger N1 amplitudes to the infrequent tones. These preliminary results may suggest that somatization disorder is associated with an impaired ability to filter out and not respond to relatively meaningless afferent stimuli.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

The prediction of somatic complaints using the Autonomic Nervous System Response Inventory (ANSRI) and the Daily Stress Inventory (DSI).

Understanding and prediction of veridical somatic complaints not caused by disease, dysfunction, trauma, or toxin, requires the assessment of at least two critical variables: predisposition to respond to stressors with peripheral physiological activation; and intensity/frequency/duration of stressors. The Autonomic Nervous System Response Inventory (ANSRI) and the Daily Stress Inventory (DSI) were used to assess these variables, and somatic complaints were recorded using the Wahler Physical Symptoms Inventory (WPSI). Subjects were 72 healthy undergraduates who completed the inventories and reported illness and medication usage over a 2 week period. Regression analyses showed that ANSRI, DSI, illness, and medication accounted for 35% of the variance in somatic complaints, though only ANSRI and DSI contributed significantly. Neuroticism (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire) did not add to R2, but did influence stressors' subjective impact. The correlation between regression equation-generated WPSI scores (derivation sample) and actual WPSI scores (holdout sample) was 0.59. A discriminant function analysis equation (derivation sample) applied to the holdout sample correctly classified 80% of the upper and lower third WPSI subjects. It was concluded that the ANSRI and DSI, and the variables they assess, are substantially related to the self-report of somatic complaints.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1995

Somatization: a transcultural study.

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the comparative rates of somatic complaints between Asian and Caucasian patients in a primary care setting and to characterize the factors associated with increased rates of somatization. One hundred and ninety-five individuals aged between 16 and 65 yr were interviewed with the Bradford Somatic Inventory (BSI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) respectively. The main finding was that the Asian patients reported significantly more somatic and depressive symptoms than the Caucasian patients. Ethnicity was the most important variable determining this result.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

In vivo somatic mutation and segregation at the human glycophorin A (GPA) locus: phenotypic variation encompassing both gene-specific and chromosomal mechanisms.

The human in vivo GPA assay uses immunolabelling and flow cytometry to directly detect and quantitate somatic variation in erythrocytes expressing glycophorin A (GPA) allele-loss phenotypes in peripheral blood samples from individuals heterozygous for the MN blood type. The assay distinguishes two independent classes of variant cells: those that have lost expression of one allelic form of the GPA cell surface protein (the antigen responsible for the MN blood type), and a second class that, in addition to this allele loss now express the remaining homologue at twice the level of the heterozygote. This assay has been widely applied in human populations; both classes of variant appear at frequencies of approximately 10(-5) in unexposed individuals. There is considerable inter-individual variation, however, as well as an increase in variant cell frequency with age. Exposure to genotoxic agents such as ionizing radiation or chemical mutagens cause a dose-dependent increase in the frequency of variants, and the assay has been proposed as a quantitative cumulative biodosimeter for accidental, environmental, occupational and medical exposures to these agents. Variants arising by such molecular mechanisms as recombination, gene inactivation and chromosome missegregation, as well as classical mutation are detectable by this assay, hence the term somatic segregation rather than simply somatic mutation. Indeed, the spectrum of molecular events contributing to the two classes of GPA variants are identical to those involved in the etiology of recessive cancer, and largely representative of the activating events occurring at proto-oncogenes. The GPA assay has therefore also been proposed as an intermediate biomarker of carcinogenesis and other human diseases characterized by somatic mosaicism.

Alleles↗
PubMed1996

Similarity of in vivo somatic mutations at an autosomal adenine phosphoribosyltransferase locus between T- and B-cells in human peripheral blood.

In vivo somatic mutations have been detected at several human loci by using clonal cultures of peripheral blood T-cells. It has not been fully understood whether or not the somatic mutations in T-cells are similar to those of other cell types. To address this issue, we cloned, from human peripheral blood, T- and B-cells with mutations at an autosomal adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) locus. For the efficient detection of somatic mutations at the APRT locus, a blood sample from a human individual heterozygous for germline APRT deficiency was used. T- and B-cells deficient in APRT enzyme activity were cloned from peripheral blood mononuclear cells using a selecting agent, 2,6-diaminopurine. The APRT-deficient mutant frequencies were on the order of 10(-4) in both T- and B-cells. The single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis of the APRT DNA of mutant B-cell clones suggested that the molecular mechanisms leading to the APRT deficiency in B-cells were similar to those in T-cells. Our observations suggest that both the frequency and the mode of in vivo somatic mutations occurring spontaneously at general autosomal loci in B-cells are similar to those in T-cells.

Adenine Phosphoribosyltransferase↗
PubMed1984

Effect of fentanyl and naloxone on human somatic and auditory-evoked potential components.

The effect of fentanyl (a morphine agonist) and naloxone (a morphine antagonist) on early and late components of somatic (SEP)- and auditory (AEP)-evoked potentials was studied in patients undergoing minor surgical procedures, in which these compounds were used in producing and regulating a state of neuroleptanalgesia. Fentanyl (2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 micrograms/kg), naloxone (1.5 and 3.0 micrograms/kg) and isotonic saline (for comparative purposes) were injected just before surgery, intravenously through a catheter and following a single blind procedure and three different pharmacological paradigms with four consecutive conditions each: (1) Initial baseline (C), first saline (S), second saline (S') and late baseline (C'). (2) C, First fentanyl (F), second naloxone (N') and C. (3) C, First naloxone (N), second fentanyl (F') and C'. Special care was taken in controlling the constancy of the muscular and cochlear receptor activation concomitant to somatic-evoked potentials and auditory-evoked potentials, determined by the amplitude of the muscular response at the tenar muscles (MP) and component I of the brain stem potentials ( ABSP ). Evaluation by the patients pain, topognoses and hearing and other somatic and autonomic indicators of the level of the analgesic response were also controlled. Fentanyl significantly reduced, while naloxone increased, the amplitude of late components P150 of somatic-evoked potentials and auditory-evoked potentials. Concomitantly, fentanyl increased, while naloxone decreased, the spatial threshold (two point discrimination test) at finger tip and arm. These effects were observed in patients taking various doses, although they were more consistent with larger doses of these compounds.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of adult somatic and excretory-secretory antigens in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serodiagnosis of human infection with Paragonimus heterotremus.

Adult somatic antigen extract of Paragonimus heterotremus was compared with excretory-secretory (ES) antigen in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for serodiagnosis of human paragonimiasis. The absorbence values in ELISA using the adult somatic antigen were not significantly different from the values obtained using ES antigens (P greater than 0.05). The sensitivity of the ELISA using either antigen was 100%, but the specificity was 96% with somatic and 98% with ES antigens due to a cross reaction with fascioliasis sera. It appears that both somatic and ES antigens are effective antigens for use in serodiagnosis of human paragonimiasis heterotremus.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Characterization of two xenopus somatic 5S DNAs and one minor oocyte-specific 5S DNA.

The somatic 5S DNA from X. borealis (Xbs 5S DNA) and X. laevis (Xis 5S DNA) and a minor oocyte-specific 5S DNA from X. laevis (Xit 5S DNA) have been purified, and individual repeating units have been cloned and sequenced. The two somatic 5S DNAs differ from the major oocyte 5S DNAs in having GC-rich spacers, homogeneous repeat lengths and no "pseudogenes." The somatic 5S DNAs from the two species have similar spacer sequences with differences due to single base changes and insertions/deletions. The spacer of the minor oocyte-specific 5S DNA (Xit) has the AT-rich sequence characteristic of the major oocyte 5S DNAs from X. laevis and X. borealis, and contains one duplication that has diverged approximately 40%. Like the somatic 5S DNAs, Xit 5S DNA has a homogeneous length repeat and a unique nucleotide sequence in its spacer. The presence of variable-length spacer regions in a multigene family correlates with variables numbers of a simple sequence in the spacer regions.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Sexual abuse: somatic and emotional reactions.

A chart review and telephone interview of 72 sexual abuse victims was conducted to determine if children and adolescents who are victims of sexual abuse suffer from symptoms similar to the "rape trauma syndrome," which has been reported in adults. Symptoms similar to the rape trauma syndrome were found in 48 of the 72 abused children and only 26 of the matched control group, p less than .01. Common somatic complaints in the sexual abuse patients included dysuria, vaginal discharge and chronic abdominal pain. Some of the emotional and behavioral problems noted during the follow-up period among the sexual abuse patients included sleep problems, runaway behavior, and suicide attempts. The duration of abuse and age of the victim at the time of abuse significantly affected the frequency of reported somatic symptoms, but the type of abuse and type of assailant did not significantly affect the frequency of reported somatic and emotional reactions. There was no difference in the occurrence of school problems and early pregnancy between sexually abused patients and controls. Since 67% of all sexually abused patients suffered from emotional and somatic reactions, close follow-up of these patients is indicated.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1994

Mapping the upstream boundary of somatic mutations in rearranged immunoglobulin transgenes and endogenous genes.

Mammalian B-cell specific somatic hypermutation contributes to affinity maturation of the antibody response. This mutator activity is highly focused on rearranged immunoglobulin variable regions, but the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. In an effort to gain insights into the mechanism of somatic hypermutation, the precise distribution and frequency of mutations upstream of murine immunoglobulin genes was determined by examining the same variable gene segments when mutated in different B-cell lines. Immunoglobulin sequences analysed included kappa light chain transgenes bearing mutated V kappa 24 variable regions, and the endogenous V kappa gene isolated from myeloma MOPC167, which also exhibits mutations in the variable region. In addition, mutated endogenous VH1 gene segments of the S107 heavy chain variable gene family were also examined. For both VH1 and V kappa 24, somatic mutations were generally not found upstream of the leader intron, even in genes which exhibited a high mutation frequency in the variable region itself. The 5' somatic mutation boundary identified in immunoglobulin transgenes overlaps the boundary observed in endogenous genes, suggesting that both share cis-elements required for defining the mutable domain. Furthermore, the location of this 5' boundary appears not to change when these immunoglobulin genes are examined in different cell lines. These data may be indicative of a defined start site for immunoglobulin mutator activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Reinnervation of frog sympathetic ganglia with somatic nerve fibres.

The formation of synapses in the last two ganglia of the sympathetic chain of the frog Rana esculenta was investigated after anastomosing the 6th spinal nerve to the denervated ganglia in order to evaluate the reinnervation of deafferented sympathetic neurons with somatic cholinergic axons. The same ganglia were examined both electrophysiologically and morphologically from 25 to 280 days after the operation. In response to electrical stimulations of the anastomosed spinal nerve, synaptic transmission was analysed with intracellular microelectrodes placed into B or C sympathetic neurons. Synaptic density was quantified using electron microscopy by a synaptic index defined as the ratio of the number of synapses encountered to the number of perykarya examined. After ganglionic deafferentation, post-synaptic membrane differentiations persisted without any pre-synaptic element and an index of the 'vacated' post-synaptic differentiations was calculated. Although somatic axons were growing into all ganglia studied, no sign of neuronal reinnervation was detected in ganglia of 8 of the 31 frogs (26%) taken from 29 to 210 days after the anastomosis. Moreover, in 18 out of 31 frogs (58%) analysed at different times after the operation, the ganglia were reinnervated with regenerating preganglionic axons in spite of care taken to avoid it. However, even after 3 months, certain neurons of these ganglia were not reinnervated and the synaptic index approximated the value of normal ganglia only in the 8th ganglion. In addition, post-synaptic membrane differentiations could still persist and coexist with normal synapses. It was only beyond three months after the anastomosis that the ganglia of 5 of the 31 frogs (16%) were reinnervated with regenerating somatic axons. Reinnervated B and C neurons were polyinnervated. But in 3 out of these 5 frogs the ganglia were also reinnervated with preganglionic axons and several B and C neurons received a double reinnervation. The synaptic indices were far from the value of normal ganglia except for the 8th ganglion of one frog reinnervated by both types of axons and the indices of vacated differentiations were close to that of ganglia with no reinnervated neurons. Contrary to mammals, frog somatic axons are, therefore, relatively ineffective at reinnervating sympathetic neurons, probably because in amphibian ganglia, synapses between the pre- and post-synaptic elements require higher specificity.

Adrenergic Fibers↗
PubMed1983

Comparative induction of somatic eye-color mutations and sex-linked recessive lethals in Drosophila melanogaster by tryptophan pyrolysates.

The mutagenicities of the products of pyrolysis of tryptophan, Trp-P-1 and Trp-P-2, on Drosophila melanogaster were examined by measuring the effects of these compounds in inducing recessive lethals and somatic eye-color mutations. Since negative results have already been obtained by the standard procedure in males, Trp-P-1 and Trp-P-2 (0.75 to 6 mg/ml) in sucrose solution were given to females for assay of recessive lethal mutations in X-chromosomes. These compounds caused a marginal increase above the control level in the mutation frequency. For the assay of effects on somatic eye-color mutations, Trp-P-1 (200 and 400 ppm) and Trp-P-2 (400 and 800 ppm) were fed to male larvae of a tester strain carrying a genetically unstable marker set of z and w+ on the X-chromosome. These compounds caused dose-dependent increases above the control level in somatic eye-color mutations in adults. It is concluded that, under the conditions used, the somatic eye-color mutation system was more sensitive than the recessive lethal system to the mutagenic effects of tryptophan pyrolysates.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

The secreted and somatic antigens of the third stage larva of Anisakis simplex, and antigenic relationship with Ascaris suum, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Toxocara canis.

The in vitro-released 'excretory/secretory' (ES) and somatic antigens of the third stage (infective) larva of Anisakis simplex were characterised by radioiodination, immunoprecipitation, and sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Oral infection with the parasite elicited a substantial IgG antibody response to ES in infected rabbits and humans, with a minimal response to somatic materials. Serial serum sampling in experimental infection showed that there was a sequential recognition of distinct ES components. In contrast to oral infection, intraperitoneal exposure of rats with living parasites induced a strong response to both ES and somatic antigen preparations. Sequential recognition of ES antigens, and differential responses to somatic components, might, therefore, have application in the estimation of the age and degree of penetration by the nematodes in human infection. Extensive antigenic relationships were found between A. simplex and three other species of ascaridoid nematodes, namely Ascaris lumbricoides, Ascaris suum, and Toxocara canis, but none with a panel of non-ascaridoid nematodes. Evidence is presented that a Mr 14,000 component of A. simplex has a homologue in all of the ascaridoids examined, but does not elicit an antibody response in anisakiasis. Finally, the ES of A. simplex is shown to contain two proteinase activities, of approximately Mr 23,400 and 46,100, as revealed by separation on gelatin substrate gels, although the antigenicity of the enzymes remains to be established.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Somatic symptoms and caregiving strain among family caregivers of older patients with progressive nursing needs.

A study of 120 family caregivers caring for relatives with nursing needs caused by different diseases was carried out to measure the extent of somatic symptoms among the caregivers (Giessen Symptom List, (GSL)) and the degree of perceived burden (Burden Scale for Family Caregivers, (BSFC)). With the exception of caregivers caring for patients with internal-medical geriatric diseases, the extent of the somatic symptoms observed amongst the caregivers was significantly higher than the symptoms in their corresponding average age groups. This was true of all the symptom complexes examined. In addition to heart and stomach complaints, especially the number of cases of physical exhaustion and aching limbs was raised. The extent of somatic symptoms among male caregivers was not above-average. The correlation between the extent of the somatic symptoms and the extent of the perceived burden was highly significant.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1991

Somatic development of the infant monkey following in utero exposure to caffeine.

Caffeine has been associated with a number of reproductive and developmental effects in animals and humans. In an effort to characterize the potential effects of caffeine on the developing infant, 40 adult female monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were randomly divided into three groups and exposed at 0, 0.15, and 0.35 mg/ml (equivalent to 0, 10-15, and 25-30 mg/kg/day, respectively) of caffeine via their drinking water, before, during, and after pregnancy. Maternal blood and milk samples were collected following parturition. Infants were separated from their mothers within 12 hr of birth and were reared in a primate nursery. Blood samples were collected during the first week of life, and body weight, somatic measurements, and food consumption data were collected throughout the first 3 years. Maternal blood and milk concentrations and infant blood concentrations of caffeine and theophylline (the major blood metabolite of caffeine in the monkey) were similar to one another. Infant half-life of these methylxanthines was longer than that of the adult but not as long as that observed in human infants. Body weights and somatic measurements of male infants were significantly reduced over the first 30 days, as were a number of initial somatic measurements in both male and female infants. These deficits were not evident after 1 year of age. There were no treatment-related effects on infant tooth eruption or milk consumption. Results from this study support previously published results from this group of monkeys as well as studies by other researchers in rodents indicating that caffeine consumption during pregnancy can alter infant somatic development.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Genotoxicity testing of different types of beverages in the Drosophila wing Somatic Mutation And Recombination Test.

Five wines and one brandy of Spanish origin as well as three herbal teas and ordinary black tea were tested for genotoxicity in the wing Somatic Mutation And Recombination Test (SMART) which makes use of the two recessive wing cell markers multiple wing hairs (mwh) and flare (flr3) on the left arm of chromosome 3 of Drosophila melanogaster. 3-day-old larvae trans-heterozygous for these two markers were fed the beverages at different concentrations and for different feeding periods using Drosophila instant medium. Somatic mutations or mitotic recombinations induced in the cells of the wing imaginal discs give rise to mutant single or twin spots on the wing blade of the emerging adult flies showing either the mwh phenotype or/and the flr phenotype. One of the red wines showed a clear genotoxic activity that was not due to its ethanol content. Two herbal teas (Urtica dioica, Achillea millefolium) and black tea (Camellia sinensis) proved to be weakly genotoxic as well. Furthermore, it was shown that quercetin and rutin, two flavonols present in beverages of plant origin, also exhibited weak genotoxic activity in the somatic cells of Drosophila. These results demonstrate that Drosophila in vivo somatic assays can detect the genotoxicity of complex mixtures such as beverages. In particular, it is possible to administer these test materials in the same form as that in which they are normally consumed.

Alcoholic Beverages↗