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Comparison of carbon dioxide versus refrigerant spray to determine pulpal responsiveness.

There is little evidence for which cold delivery method is most accurate in determining pulp responsiveness. This study compared carbon dioxide dry ice sticks (CO2) versus refrigerant spray (RS) to generate a patient response from different types of teeth restored to varying degrees. Fifteen human patients were selected. In each quadrant, three teeth were identified and the restoration type recorded. Blindfolded patients were randomly tested with either CO2 or RS in a crossover design at two different sessions. Responsiveness was recorded as yes/no and the interval (in seconds) from application to response was determined. Results showed that (a) CO2 and RS were equivalent in producing a pulpal response regardless of tooth and presence of restoration, and (b) CO2 took significantly (p < 0.05) longer to evoke a response than RS using paired t tests. In conclusion, RS and CO2 were equivalent in determining pulpal responsiveness, but the elicited response from RS was faster.

Adult↗

Changes of perivascular macrophages in the process of brain edema induced by cold injury.

Perivascular macrophages are considered as cerebral scavenger cells under physical and pathological conditions. In this study, we tried to examine changes of perivascular macrophages, especially changes of the characteristic lysosomal inclusion bodies that are rich in hydrolytic enzymes, in the process of brain edema induced by cold injury. Wistar male rats aged 4 months were treated with dry ice for 20 minutes through a drilled hole at the parietal bone. At different time points after the cold injury, cerebral cortex was excised and the immunoreaction for cathepsin D, one kind of lysosomal protease, was examined by post-embedding immuno-electron microscopy. The reactions of cathepsin D were located in the inclusion bodies of perivascular macrophages. At 5 and 10 hours after cold injury, the reactions increased dramatically. Then the reactions inclined to decrease, and reached the minimum at 1 week after cold injury. The reactions seemed to recover at 2 weeks after cold injury. The changes of cathepsin D reactions suggest that the function of perivascular macrophages as scavenger cells were activated in the early phase of the process of brain edema, their later declines might be caused by severe pathological conditions.

Animals↗

An investigation of thermal stimulation in intact teeth.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the response of extracted intact teeth to thermal stimulation in terms of fluid movement, in relation to temperature change within tooth structure. METHODS: Dentinal fluid movement was measured in response to thermal stimuli applied to enamel. Freshly extracted teeth with intact crowns were investigated for the effects of thermal stimulation; namely, hot water (80 degrees C), iced water (2 degrees C) and carbon dioxide dry ice (-72 degrees C) for 5s application. Two capillary-based methods were used to measure fluid flow. To measure temperature changes at the dentino-enamel junction (DEJ) and pulpal wall in response to the same stimuli, fine J type thermocouples were used. RESULTS: Thermal stimuli caused fluid movement, which occurred before the temperature changed at the pulp wall. Sealing the dentinal tubules resulted in a delayed response time. In general, fluid movement occurred coincident with the temperature change detected at the DEJ. However, many teeth showed a "bidirectional" response to thermal stimulation. The initial fluid movement in the bidirectional response was detected before the earliest temperature change observed at the DEJ, and was in the opposite direction to the main fluid movement. CONCLUSION: Our results imply that thermal contraction and expansion of dentinal fluid may not be the complete explanation for dentinal fluid movement in intact teeth. Enamel may serve not only as a temperature transfer medium but may also expand or contract when subjected to thermal stimulation.

Dental Enamel↗

In vitro autoradiographical localization of melatonin binding sites in the caprine brain.

The recent development of a specific 2-[125I]-iodo-melatonin ligand has led to the identification of 125I-melatonin binding sites in the brains of numerous mammalian species. The present study reports the localization of 125I-melatonin binding sites in the brain of the dairy goat. Six previously untreated female goats, aged 5-7 years, were culled under natural light between 0900 and 1100. Brains and pituitaries were immediately dissected out and frozen on dry ice. Both transverse and sagittal sections of frozen brain were cut 20 microns thick and thaw-mounted onto gelatin-coated slides. Three consecutive sections were cut at intervals throughout the brain, mounted onto three slides, labeled A, B, and C, and thusly treated: (A) incubated for 2 hr at room temperature in a 50 pM solution of 125I-melatonin; (B) incubated for 2 hr at room temperature in a 50 pM solution of 125I-melatonin plus 1 microM cold melatonin; (C) fixed in Clarke's fluid and stained with toluidine blue. After incubation, A (specific) and B (nonspecific) slides were washed three times in ice-cold Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.7), air-dried, exposed to an X-ray film for 2 weeks at -20 degrees C, and then fixed and stained. Specific 125I-melatonin binding sites were found in the pars tuberalis (PT), the area of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), preoptic area (POA), fornix/mediolateral septal areas, hippocampus, and the cerebral cortex. 125I-melatonin did not bind in the hindbrain, midbrain, neurohypophysis, pars intermedia or pars distalis of the adenohypophysis, or the pineal.

Animals↗

Preservation of Serratia marcescens by high-vacuum lyophilization.

Water-washed Serratia marcescens (ATCC strain 14041) cells were lyophilized in an all-glass system capable of evacuation to pressures of less than 5 x 10(-6) torr. Lyophilization at the lowest pressures resulted in 50 to 65% survival for unstabilized washed organisms compared with 10 to 20% when the cells were lyophilized at pressures of about 2.5 x 10(-2) torr. At the latter pressures, 45 to 65% survival was obtained when NaCl or Naylor-Smith stabilizer was added to the cell suspensions before lyophilization. However, the stabilizers failed to increase significantly the levels of survival compared with water suspension when cells were lyophilized at pressures less than 10(-5) torr. The high survival rates obtained by the high-vacuum technique may be attributed to the reduction of traces of molecular oxygen which has been reported to be destructive of the dried bacteria. Survival of unstabilized dried S. marcescens after 1-day storage increased markedly with decreasing sealing pressure. Under the highest vacuum attained, survival of the dried bacteria was not impaired by storage for up to 1 month at Dry Ice temperatures; at higher temperatures, viability losses occurred. Exposure of the dried unstabilized bacteria to dry air resulted in rapid viability loss. The inactivation could be stopped almost immediately by evacuation to pressures of less than 10(-5) torr, but the evacuation failed to reverse the viability losses that occurred during exposure.

Freeze Drying↗

Cell organelles at uncoated cryofractured surfaces as viewed with the scanning electron microscope.

A method of direct visualization of cell organelles by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is described. Plant and animal tissues fixed in glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide are treated with the ligand thiocarbohydrazide and a second osmium tetroxide solution, to increase their osmium content. Tissues are then dehydrated, infiltrated with an epoxy monomer, and together solidified with dry ice and fractured. The pieces are transferred to pure acetone, critical-point dried, attached to stubs with silver paint and viewed by SEM. The ligating procedure increases the osmium concentration at its original bonding site sufficiently to render the tissue electrically conductive, thus obviating the need for metallic coating. he organelles at the fractured surface are revaled in relation to their osmium incorporation rather than by surface irregularities as with coating methods. The image derived from the uncoated surface approaches in resolution that of transmission electron micrographs of thin sections. A protion of the image arising from a small distance below the surface, while at progressively lower resolution, provides some 3-dimensional information about cell fine structure.

Animals↗

Sucrase-isomaltase and other brush border glycosidases in colorectal tumors.

Sucrase-isomaltase (SI), trehalase (T) and lactase-beta-glucosidase (LG) activities were assessed histochemically in samples of colorectal adenomas (11 tubular, 12 tubulovillous, 10 villous) and 30 adenocarcinomas obtained by biopsy during colonoscopy or from specimens removed by surgical intervention. Small samples of tumor tissue, tissue of the transitional zone and of macroscopically normal mucosa were quenched in heptan cooled in an acetone-dry ice mixture. Cryostat sections, transferred to non-precooled slides and in some cases to semipermeable membranes, were dried and subjected to the histochemical reactions for SI, T and LG. Sucrose, 2-naphthyl, 6-Br-2-naphthyl, and 5-Br-4-Cl-3-indoxyl alpha-D-glucosides, trehalose, and 5-Br-4-Cl-3-indoxyl-beta-D-fucoside were used as substrates. Sections of jejunal biopsies with normal activities of brush border glycosidases were used as controls. From samples of 5 adenomas, 5 adenocarcinomas and collected rests of jejunal biopsies with a normal finding 10% (w/vol) homogenates in 2% Triton X-100 were prepared. Homogenates were frozen and thawed 3 times and their supernatants subjected to isoelectric focusing on polyacrylamide gel plates. Zymograms were developed with the same methods as for the detection of alpha-glucosidases in sections. In no colorectal tumor LG was present. SI was found in 70% adenocarcinomas, 50% villous, 25% tubulovillous and 19% tubular adenomas when the method with sucrose, glucose oxidase-peroxidase and 3,3'-diaminobenzidine was used. Hardly discernible traces of activity were found in tumors with azo-coupling reactions applied at pH 5, 6 and 6.5. No reaction was detected with the indigogenic method applied at pH above 6.0. However, jejunal biopsies displayed very strong reactions confined to the brush border of enterocytes under the same conditions. A strongly positive reaction was seen in 7 of 12 tumors investigated recently when the indigogenic reaction was applied at pH below 6.0 (particularly at pH 5.0). In this case the deposition of indigo was due to membrane and lysosomal alpha-glucosidases of the tumor cells and lysosomal alpha-glucosidase of macrophages and leukocytes. These findings were corroborated by zymograms. T was detected in the same tumors as SI; its activity was lower, however. SI activity in colorectal tumors is a useful, but not general marker of these tumors.

Colorectal Neoplasms↗

Angiotensin receptors and angiotensin I-converting enzyme in rat intestine.

The purpose of this study was to map the distribution of angiotensin II (ANG II) receptors and ANG I-converting enzyme (ACE) in rat intestine. ANG II binding sites were visualized by in vitro autoradiography using iodinated [Sar1, Ile8]ANG II. The distribution of ACE was mapped using an iodinated derivative of lisinopril. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were killed and the interior of the whole intestine washed with ice-cold saline. Segments of duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon were quickly frozen in a mixture of isopentane and dry ice. Twenty-micron frozen sections were thaw-mounted onto gelatin-coated slides, incubated with either ligand, and exposed to X-ray film. After exposure and subsequent development, the films were quantitated by computerized densitometry. ANG II receptors were most dense in the colon, followed by the ileum, duodenum, and jejunum. Within each segment of intestine, specific ANG II binding sites were localized exclusively to the muscularis. In contrast, ACE was present in both the mucosa and the muscularis. The colocalization of ANG II receptors and ACE may suggest a role for locally generated ANG II in the control of intestinal function. The luminal orientation of ACE in the mucosa of the small intestine may suggest that at this site ACE serves primarily to hydrolyze dietary peptides.

Angiotensin II↗

Studies on regional blood flow of the mouse using whole-body autoradiography of 14C-iodoantipyrine.

In order to visualize regional blood flow in various tissues of the mouse at the same time, the distribution of radioactive carbon from 14C-iodoantipyrine was studied by whole-body autoradiography. The mice were frozen with Dry-Ice-hexane at 1, 10, 30 min, and 1 h and 3 h after intravenous injection of 14C-iodoantipyrine. Whole-sagittal sections of the frozen mouse, obtained by using a cryostat microtome, were dried in a cryostat and subjected to autoradiograhy. The resulting dry autoradiographs are called untreated autoradiographs in the present work. The sections were then fixed in cold 6% (w/v) HClO4, dried at room temperature and again subjected to autoradiography. Autoradiographs thus obtained are referred to as treated autoradiographs. It was found that the method could be suitable for the estimation of regional blood flow of the renal cortex, spleen, lung, skeletal muscle, bone marrow, thymus, testes, and brain.

Animals↗

Localization of [14C]nitrosonornicotine in tissues of the mouse.

Male C57BL/6J mice were given i.v. injections of 7 mg (about 4 mu Ci) of N'-[pyrrolidine-2-14C] nitrosonornicotine per kg and frozen by immersion in dry ice:hexane at 0.1, 0.33, 1, 3, 9, and 24 hr after injection. The mice were processed for whole-body autoradiography without allowing thawing or the use of any solvents; sagittal sections of the frozen mice were freeze dried and placed on X-ray film to reveal areas of localization of radioactivity. At 6 min after administration, radioactivity was highest in liver, kidney, parotid gland, nasal epithelium, melanin, and contents of lower stomach; there was very little radioactivity at this time interval in bronchial epithelium. At later time intervals, there was increasing radioactivity in bronchial and nasal epithelium and sublingual and submandibular duct epithelium. By 24 hr after administration, virtually the only radioactivity remaining in the entire body was in the epithelium of the nasal cavity, bronchi, esophagus, and salivary glands and also in melanin, liver, proximal tubules of the kidney, and preputial gland. The autoradiographs are interpreted to reveal that most of the radioactivity is eliminated by renal and hepatic secretion and that metabolites are retained only at sites of carcinogenic action. The specificity of accumulation in nasal, bronchial, esophageal, and salivary duct epithelium may be due to receptor-directed interactions and suggests that other compounds might block this accumulation.

Animals↗

The distribution of 14c from [U-14c]glucose in mice using whole-body autoradiography.

Tissue distribution of radioactive carbon from [U-14C]glucose in the mouse in vivo was studied by whole-body autoradiography. The mice were frozen with Dry-Ice-acetone at 0.5, 1, 5 and 30 min, 1 and 24 hr and 1 and 3 weeks after intraperitoneal injection of [U-14C]glucose. Whole-sagittal sections of the frozen mouse, obtained by using a microtome in a cryostat, were dried in a cryostat and autoradiographed. The resulting dry autoradiographs are called untreated autoradiographs in the present work. The sections were then fixed in cold 6% (w/v) HClO4, dried at room temperature and again autoradiographed. Autoradiographs that have undergone this process are referred to as treated autoradiographs. In both untreated and treated autoradiographs, within 1 min following injection of the labeled glucose, the abdominal cavity had the highest autoradiographic density. At 1 hr, density became highest in Harder's, sublingual and duodenal glands, large intestinal mucosa and tongue, and after 3 weeks, no autoradiographic denisty was present.

Adipose Tissue, Brown↗

Distribution of 35S-taurine in rat neonates and adults. A whole-body autoradiographic study.

The distribution of 35S-taurine in rat neonates and adults was investigated by wholy -body autoradiography. The neonates (4-day-old) were frozen in dry-ice hexane at 30 min, 1, 3 and 6 h after an intraperitoneal injection of 35S-taurine, whereas survival intervals for adult rats were 1 and 3 h. Whole-sagittal sections of the frozen rat, obtained by using a cryostat microtome were dried in situ and autoradiographed. In rat neonates and adults, 35S-taurine was mainly accumulated in the renal cortex, urine, feces, liver, eye (lens, vitreous fluid, retina), hypophysis, thymus, adrenal glands, nasal mucous membrane, salivary glands, gastric mucosa, small and large intestinal mucosa, choroid plexus, myocardium and sebaceous glands. In the rat neonate, such regions as the olfactory bulb, cerebrum, and cerebellum showed relatively high optical density.

Aging↗

Antigen retrieval by heating en bloc for pre-fixed frozen material.

Antigen retrieval (AR) is frequently required for successful immunohistochemistry (IHC) in archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Although AR by heating is most generally used, the majority of existing methods are useful only for paraffin-embedded sections. This article describes a simple alternative method for AR that can be used for aldehyde-fixed frozen sections. After fixation in paraformaldehyde, tissue blocks were heated in retrieval solutions and then frozen with dry ice. The optimal temperatures for heating were 90C and above, and the optimal retrieval solutions were distilled water and 10 mM sodium citrate, pH 6.0. Sections were cut with a cryostat and mounted on poly-l-lysine-coated glass slides. After the sections dried, routine IHC was performed. Alternatively, free-floating sections were used. This method not only greatly enhanced the immunoreactivity for a wide range of antigens, especially for nuclear proteins, but also effectively lowered the background staining in some cases. I examined the staining of 14 antibodies using sections of mouse brain and rat testis. The heating process was essential for five antibodies, improved immunoreactivity for seven antibodies, and provided no change for two antibodies.

Animals↗

How reliable are reported plasma clozapine levels?

OBJECTIVE: Many practitioners use plasma levels to determine the optimum dosage of clozapine. The aim of this study was to determine the intra- and interlaboratory accuracy in assaying samples of clozapine dissolved in human plasma. METHOD: Three samples were sent to one laboratory to obtain an initial determination of accuracy (phase I). Then samples of clozapine dissolved in human plasma were prepared at concentrations of 140, 310 and 580 ng/mL and dispatched on dry ice to 10 assaying centres in Australia and New Zealand. The results of the survey were analysed and posted to each centre (phase II). The programme was repeated using concentrations of 160, 380 and 640 ng/mL (phase III). Samples prepared in purified water and freeze-dried samples were also dispatched. RESULTS: In phase II there were two centres with results significantly different from the mean. In phase III all the centres returned concordant results. There was a high level of consistency in the measurement of samples with a maximum coefficient of variation of 0.16. The concentrations determined by the centres, however, were significantly lower than the nominal concentrations of the prepared solutions. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians in Australia and New Zealand who wish to know their patients' plasma-clozapine levels can be confident that the result of the assay is unlikely to vary with the choice of centre or the operator who performs the assay.

Analysis of Variance↗

Neonatal screening for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in Taiwan.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common enzymopathic disease in Taiwan. The mass neonatal screening of G6PD deficiency by fluorometric spot test in Taiwan was started with a pilot program in 1984. The nationwide screening was started on July 1, 1987, and a follow-up system comprising of eighteen referral hospitals, including outlying islands, was organized for confirmatory test, medical care and genetic counseling. From July 1987 to December 1997, 2,971,192 heel blood samples collected on filter paper from 1,143 delivery units were screened by four neonatal screening centers. 46,570 cases were confirmed as G6PD deficiency is estimated to be around 2.1% (male 3.1%, female 0.9%) in Taiwan. The coverage rate of neonatal screening was 99% in 1997. To assess the reliability of the confirmatory test, an external quality assurance (QA) program for G6PD assay was developed. Periodically, 3 or 5 lyophilized quality control materials with different activities of G6PD were sent to each referral hospital by speed post delivery in dry ice. From January 1988 to June 1998, 85 QA services were performed. Two hundred and seven (13.5%) abnormal QA results were found, which were attributed to clerk (11.6%), procedural (16.4%), and instrumental errors (47.3%). In aid to confirm G6PD deficiency, a method to detect the G6PD mutation by using the dried blood samples was developed. The frequencies of the mutant alleles in Taiwan were determined to be 46.8% (1376G > T), 16.2% (1388G > A), 7.9% (95A > G), 6.5% (493A > G), 5.6% (392G >T), 4.6% (1024C > T), 0.5% (487G > A) and 0.5% (519C > G), respectively.

Female↗

Norepinephrine uptake sites in the locus coeruleus of rat lines selectively bred for high and low alcohol preference: a quantitative autoradiographic binding study using [3H]-tomoxetine.

BACKGROUND: The locus coeruleus (LC) is the largest norepinephrinergic cell group in the central nervous system and contains a high density of norepinephrine (NE) uptake sites. Alcohol-preferring (AP) rats and high-alcohol-drinking (HAD) rats are selectively bred for high alcohol preference, whereas alcohol-nonpreferring (NP) rats and low-alcohol-drinking (LAD) rats are bred for low alcohol preference. However, it is unknown whether NE uptake sites in the LC are associated with alcohol preference in AP and HAD rats when compared with their respective control rats, NP and LAD rats. This study was designed to examine this question. METHODS: Animals were decapitated and brains were removed, frozen with dry ice powder, and stored in a deep freezer. The LC tissue blocks were cut into 14 micro cryostat sections, collected on glass slides, and incubated with 0.6 nM [3H]-tomoxetine in 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer system. For nonspecific binding, 1 microM desipramine was added to the radioactive ligand. Sections were rinsed, quickly dried, and processed for quantitative autoradiography. In addition, galanin content in the LC was also studied. RESULTS: The LC possessed a high density of [3H]-tomoxetine binding sites. There were fewer tomoxetine binding sites (fmol/mg protein) in the AP rats (433.0 +/- 8.1) than in the NP rats (495.6 +/- 3.7). HAD rats (386.5 +/- 13.2) also possessed fewer tomoxetine binding sites than LAD rats (458.7 +/- 10.1). Galanin content in the LC was similar between AP and NP rats and between HAD and LAD rats. CONCLUSIONS: Because both AP rats and HAD rats were selectively bred for alcohol preference, the finding of consistently low levels of [3H]-tomoxetine binding in the LC of these two lines of rats with high alcohol preference suggests that down-regulation of NE transporters in the LC of AP and HAD rats may be associated with alcohol-seeking behavior. A possible involvement of the coerulear NE uptake sites in depression is also discussed. Galanin in the LC may not relate to alcohol preference.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Localization of the mRNAs for two dopamine D2 receptor isoforms in the rat brain.

Two molecular forms of the dopamine D2 receptor were generated by alternative RNA splicing. To investigate the relative distributions of the two mRNAs encoding the D2 receptor isoforms, D2(415) and D2(444), we performed in situ hybridization histochemistry in the rat brain with the two oligonucleotide probes. An insert probe complementary to an additional fragment of the D2 receptor mRNA cloned from the rat brain, and a spanning probe complementary to its contiguous sequence were used. These 48 base probes were 3'-end labeled with [35S]dATP. The brains were dissected from male SD rats and frozen in dry ice and acetone. Cryostat sections (16 microns) were collected on gelatin coated slides and stored at -20 degrees C. In situ hybridization studies were conducted with a probe concentration of 1 x 10(6) dpm/100 microliters of buffer per brain slice at 37 degrees C for 18-20 h in a humid chamber. The slides were washed, dried and exposed to tritium sensitive film for one week. The autoradiograph showed that both mRNA were present at high levels in the corpus striatum, accumbens nucleus and substantia nigra (pars compacta). Identical patterns of labeling were obtained in the rat brain using both the insert and spanning probes, although the optical densities detected with the insert probe were higher than those with the spanning probe in the corpus striatum. This suggests that both D2 receptor mRNAs are expressed similarly in each region of the rat brain and D2(444) expressed dominantly in the corpus striatum.

Animals↗

Suitability of frozen and lyophilized reference sera for cholesterol and triglyceride determinations.

Observations on the suitability of frozen and lyophilized reference sera stored at -20 degrees C are presented. These sera, intended for use as controls for both cholesterol and triglyceride determinations, covered ranges for cholesterols from 4 to 8 mmol/l and for triglyceride from 0.7 to 2.4 mmol/L. We observed no change in cholesterol or triglyceride concentration in either the frozen or lyophilized forms of serum during almost 5 years of storage. The suitability of these materials for cholesterol and triglyceride determinations is demonstrated by representative methods. Our results show that lyophilized reference sera can be shipped unprotected by dry ice without any effect on cholesterol or triglyceride concentration. Although the total cholesterol concentration was unchanged with storage, changes did occur in the lipoproteins carrying these lipid constituents.

Blood Preservation↗