Behavioral and neural correlates of postnatal olfactory conditioning: I. Effect of respiration on conditioned neural responses

Following olfactory classical conditioning, infant rats exhibit a preference for the conditioned odor and exhibit enhanced uptake of focal 14C 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) within the olfactory bulb. The present experiments assessed the role of respiration on the expression of the enhanced 2-DG uptake response. Pups were conditioned from postnatal day (PN) 1-18 with an olfactory stimulus paired with a reinforcing tactile stimulus which mimics maternal contact (Odor-Stroke). Control pups received odor only or tactile stimulation only. On PN 19, pups received 1 of 3 tests: 1) a two-odor choice test, 2) an odor/2-DG test with normal respiration allowed, or 3) an odor/2-DG test with respiration experimentally controlled. The results indicated that: 1) Odor-Stroke pups learned the conditioned odor preference, 2) Odor-Stroke, normally respiring pups exhibited enhanced olfactory bulb 2-DG uptake when compared to control pups. No difference in respiration rate was detected between groups in normally respiring pups. 3) Odor Stroke pups whose breathing was experimentally controlled exhibited enhanced olfactory bulb 2-DG uptake when compared to control pups with an identical number of respirations. Together, these results demonstrate that modified respiration during testing is not required for the expression of a modified olfactory bulb response to learned attractive odors. Therefore, the data suggest that the olfactory system itself is modified by early learning.

In vitro fertilization with concurrent pelvic reconstructive surgery

The recent advent of ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration by various approaches now allows access to ovaries previously deemed inaccessible by laparoscopy; however, a small group of candidates for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) require laparotomy for associated gynecologic disorders. Twenty-five IVF-ET cycles at the time of laparotomy were compared with 309 IVF-ET cycles in which oocytes were retrieved laparoscopically. Five pregnancies occurred in the IVF-ET cycle with laparotomy and one pregnancy occurred spontaneously following microsurgical tubal reconstruction. The pregnancy rate per embryo transfer was 25% in the laparotomy IVF-ET patients compared with 15.4% for the laparoscopy IVF-ET group. Obvious advantages of combining IVF-ET and pelvic reconstructive surgery include a single anesthesia exposure and economic benefits. Patients with a long history of infertility undergoing tubal reconstructive surgery may be offered combined IVF-ET. Extended anesthesia exposure with pelvic surgery demonstrated no adverse effects on the pregnancy rate.

In vitro fertilization and embryo transfer: treatment-dependent versus -independent pregnancies

In order to determine the true incidence of treatment-dependent versus -independent pregnancy in an in vitro fertilization (IVF) program, 274 women who underwent 492 cycles of superovulation were studied. Overall, the treatment-dependent pregnancy rate was 15%. The treatment-independent pregnancy rate was 6.6%. When a subgroup of individuals with at least one patent fallopian tube was selected for analysis, the treatment-dependent and -independent pregnancy rates were 13.9% and 11.9%, respectively. While the mean observation interval following an attempt at IVF was 2 years, 83.3% of all treatment-independent pregnancies occurred within 6 months after a trial of IVF-ET (embryo transfer). Patient characteristics that predispose to treatment-independent pregnancy are discussed.

Actinomycosis: CT findings in six patients

Actinomycosis is an uncommon disease with clinical and radiographic findings that overlap those of other inflammatory and neoplastic conditions. A retrospective review of CT scans in six proved cases revealed a spectrum of findings, including soft-tissue mass with various degrees of infiltration and abscess formation. Administration of IV contrast material was helpful in defining the loculations of the abscess in two cases. Areas of involvement included the neck (two cases), liver (one case), abdominal wall (one case), thorax (one case) and kidney and retroperitoneum (one case). CT findings of a soft-tissue mass in the neck, lungs, or abdomen, with or without a draining sinus or fistula, raise the possibility of actinomycosis in patients with clinical findings that suggest a subacute or chronic inflammatory process.

Local peritoneal factors: their role in infertility associated with endometriosis

In order to detect peritoneal abnormalities that could account for infertility associated with endometriosis, 122 infertile individuals were studied at the time of laparoscopy for diagnostic purposes or for in vitro fertilization. Four groups were defined: group 1, laparoscopy without endometriosis; group 2, laparoscopy with endometriosis; group 3, in vitro fertilization without endometriosis; and group 4, in vitro fertilization with endometriosis. Mean peritoneal fluid volume was greater, although not significantly so, in group 4 (29.0 +/- 6.6 ml, mean +/- SEM) than in group 3 (18.2 +/- 2 ml). The concentration and total number of pelvic macrophages were similar for groups 1 and 2. The total number of pelvic macrophages was increased in group 4 (16.9 +/- 4.2 x 10(6)) versus group 3 (10.0 +/- 1.8 x 10(6)) (p = 0.08). The mean sperm phagocytosis in vitro did not differ among the four groups studied. Interleukin 1 activity within the peritoneal fluid and the in vitro interleukin 1 production rate did not differ between individuals with and without endometriosis. Peritoneal fluid and macrophage supernatants from individuals with endometriosis were not embryotoxic when studied in an in vitro mouse embryo system.

Follicular stimulation for in vitro fertilization using pituitary suppression and human menopausal gonadotropins

Multiple follicular stimulation is a prerequisite to the efficient use of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT). For some individuals, however, this stimulation may be difficult using standard superovulation protocols because of dominant follicle formation, suboptimal estradiol response, or premature luteinizing hormone surge. A group of such individuals with several previous failed attempts at superovulation were studied. Follicular stimulation was accomplished using a long-acting agonist of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) for pituitary suppression followed by human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) for follicular stimulation. Fourteen cycles (12 IVF, 2 GIFT) were completed in 12 individuals. There were no cycle cancellations. Mean number of prior cycle cancellations per patient was 3.1 +/- 0.4. Mean number of mature oocytes recovered was 3.9 +/- 0.5. Two pregnancies resulted. Pituitary suppression with a long-acting agonist of GnRH followed by hMG appears to be an effective adjunct to current superovulation regimens.

Acute effects of exercise on plasma catecholamines in sedentary and athletic women with normal and abnormal menses

Norepinephrine plays a role in the regulation of luteinizing hormone secretion and may therefore be involved in the etiology of exercise-induced menstrual dysfunction. This study evaluated both intraexercise and postexercise responses of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine in sedentary women and women runners with normal and abnormal menstruation. Five eumenorrheic nonrunners and five eumenorrheic, four oligomenorrheic, and five amenorrheic runners were evaluated on 2 consecutive days. On day 1, the women cycled on a bicycle ergometer against an increasing work load until exhaustion, and on day 2, the women underwent a submaximal exercise regimen. Serial blood draws were taken at specified time intervals during intraexercise and postexercise periods on both days. The data collected during exercise for all groups showed that epinephrine and norepinephrine had a sixfold to sevenfold rise on day 1 and had a threefold rise on day 2. Dopamine increased twofold during both exercise protocols. On day 1 norepinephrine displayed a significantly higher percentage change from baseline to peak levels for oligomenorrheic and amenorrheic runners than for eumenorrheic runners and sedentary women. This latter finding is consistent with the hypothesis that periodic marked elevations in norepinephrine levels during maximal exercise may interfere with pulsatile luteinizing hormone release and hence may play a role in the occurrence of menstrual dysfunction in women runners.

A rapid serum estrogen assay suitable for office use in monitoring follicular maturation

Ovulation induction often requires the determination of serum estradiol levels. A rapid, sensitive, and simple non-radioactive serum estrogen assay was developed by modifying a hemagglutination-inhibition kit (Hi-Estrotec) originally designed to measure total urinary estrogens. With a minimum sensitivity of 100 pg of 17-beta-estradiol, the modified procedure generally takes less than 2.5 hours to complete and requires no special equipment or instrumentation. Randomly obtained serum samples assayed by both the hemagglutination-inhibition assay and radioimmunoassay achieved a correlation coefficient of 0.885 (P less than .001). Comparison of serum obtained from women undergoing ovulation induction with human menopausal gonadotropin-human chorionic gonadotropin measured by both techniques showed the same fluctuation pattern for serum estradiol levels during the stimulated cycles. The rapidity and reproducibility of this serum estrogen assay make it suitable for office use in monitoring ovulation induction and superovulation in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer programs.

Ia antigen mediated specific antigen presenting function of articular chondrocytes

The ability of articular chondrocytes to function as antigen presenting cells (APC) was examined. Rabbits were immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) in complete Freund’s adjuvant. Four weeks later, axillary lymph nodes were obtained. Spleen cells were used as positive controls. Chondrocytes were separated by collagenase, DNAse, and hyaluronidase digestion of dissected cartillage from femurs and tibias. Nylon wool purified T lymphocytes were cocultured with OVA pulsed and mitomycin-C treated chondrocytes and spleen cells. The proliferative response of autologus T lymphocytes was measured by ³H-thymidine uptake. Chondrocytes as well as spleen cells showed antigen presenting acitivty. This activity was inhibited by mouse monolonal anti-rabbit la antibody. These results indicate that articular chondrocytes function as antigen presenting cells in common with spleen cells, la antigen is a regulatory element in conjunction with soluble antigen for this process.

Adnexal torsion as a complication of superovulation for ovum retrieval

Adnexal torsion has not been reported previously following hMG/hCG for superovulation induction during an IVF cycle. It is clear that the enlarged ovary from the superstimulation cycle and coital activity contributed to the torsion in this case. Portable ultrasonography helped in making the diagnosis and may be an aid for diagnosis in future cases. Medications used for ovulation induction should be used cautiously and judiciously with close monitoring. Clinicians involved with this type of therapy are obligated to keep a constant watch for such infrequent but devastating complications.

Familial acanthosis nigricans. A longitudinal study

The triad of hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance and acanthosis nigricans (HAIR-AN) is known to have a familial tendency. In order to better understand the natural history and possible treatment of this disorder, we studied the clinical course of two families in which all female progeny were affected. A rapid progression of the HAIR-AN syndrome was apparent during the peripubertal period and early reproductive years. Beyond this period, the progression of HAIR-AN appeared quite variable. Rapid weight gain was a major stimulant for increasing insulin resistance and hyperandrogenemia. In the one subject with a postmenarcheal onset of the syndrome, prolonged weight reduction was associated with an improvement in the dermatologic manifestation as well as in the hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance. Oral contraceptives appear to improve the dermatologic symptoms of the HAIR-AN syndrome.

Membrane reconstitution of high-affinity alpha 2 adrenergic agonist binding with guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins

Regulation of adenylate cyclase by alpha 2 adrenergic receptors requires the inhibitory guanine nucleotide binding protein Ni. A role for this protein has also been suggested in the high-affinity binding of agonists to the alpha 2 receptor. We recently reported that alkaline treatment can selectively inactivate alpha 2 agonist binding and Ni in human platelet plasma membranes [Kim, M.H. & Neubig, R.R. (1985) FEBS Lett. 192, 321-325]. Binding of the full alpha 2 agonists epinephrine and 5-bromo-6-[N-(4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-yl)amino]quinoxaline (UK 14,304) to these membranes was determined by competition and direct radioligand binding, respectively. The high-affinity GTP-sensitive binding of the agonists is lost after alkaline treatment. Binding of [3H]UK 14,304 was reconstituted by poly(ethylene glycol)-induced fusion of alkaline-treated platelet membranes with cell membranes containing Ni but no alpha 2 receptor or with lipid vesicles containing purified guanine nucleotide binding proteins (N-proteins) from bovine brain. The reconstituted binding was of high affinity (Kd = 0.4 +/- 0.1 nM), accounted for a substantial fraction of the total alpha 2 receptors (Bmax for [3H]UK 14,304 was 78 +/- 23% of the Bmax for [3H]yohimbine), and was abolished in the presence of guanosine 5'-(beta, gamma-imidotriphosphate) (GppNHp). The brain-specific protein No (predominant guanine nucleotide regulatory protein from bovine brain) was also effective in reconstituting high-affinity alpha 2 agonist binding. The results presented here show that a guanine nucleotide regulatory protein of the No or Ni type is necessary for high-affinity alpha 2 agonist binding. These methods should also prove useful for future studies of receptor N-protein interactions.

Intrapartum rupture of the falciform ligament and umbilical vein. A rare cause of hemoperitoneum in the newborn

Intra-abdominal hemorrhage in the newborn is uncommon, but it must be considered in the first 48 hours of life in the infant with pallor, anemia, abdominal distension, and shock. The injured liver is the most common source of bleeding, with the spleen and kidney less often involved. In the case presented, the hallmarks of intra-abdominal hemorrhage were evident. Exploratory laparotomy revealed intraperitoneal bleeding emanating from the disruption of the umbilical vein and its enveloping falciform ligament. There was no other site of intra-abdominal bleeding and there were no intrinsic abnormalities of the umbilical cord or the placenta. Disruption of the intra-abdominal umbilical vein represented the sole source of intra-abdominal bleeding in this patient. The case is reported to document disruption of the intra-abdominal umbilical vein as a rare cause of neonatal hemoperitoneum.

A case of aneurysm of the vein of Galen

Aneurysm of the vein of Galen is a very rare disease. The authors present a case of secondary aneurysm of the vein of Galen which was confirmed by characteristic clinical symptoms, brain CT and angiographic findings. The patient was a 14-year-old right handed girl with intermittent headache, nausea, vomiting, dysphasia and gait disturbance. Neurologic examination revealed dysarthria, nasal voice, blurring of both margins of optic discs, truncal ataxia and dysdiadochokinesia. Sensory function was normal but right hemiparesis was seen. Roentgenogram of the skull revealed diffuse thinning of the calvarium, widening of sella turcica and erosion of clinoid processes. Computed tomogram of the brain showed dilatation of all ventricles and round hyperdense mass behind the third ventricle in the midline. The lesion was enhanced markedly and homogeneously. Left and right internal carotid angiograms showed arteriovenousmal-formation with drainage to the aneurysm of the vein of Galen.

Isolation usage in a pediatric hospital

In a prospective 12-month study at a university-affiliated pediatric hospital, isolation usage was quantitated by ward/service, season, isolation category and type of infection (community-acquired vs nosocomial). Such information may be helpful in designing hospitals, recognizing time utilization of the pediatric infection control nurse, and defining educational and isolation needs. Hospitals with multiple bed rooms and inadequate numbers of single rooms may be unable to meet current federal isolation guidelines. The mean number of isolation days was 153 per 1000 patient days or 15.3% of bed days used. This ranged from 18.5% on the infant/toddler/preschool medical ward to 2.8% on child/teenage orthopedic surgery. Isolation requirements vary seasonally and rose to 32% in winter on one ward. Proportional frequencies of isolation category included enteric--29%, protective--28%, strict--16%, barrier (contact)--10%, multiply resistant organism (MRO)--8%, wound--5%, pregnant women (careful handwashing)--3%, blood and body fluid precautions--1%. Isolation of patients with and contacts of nosocomial infections account for 32% of isolation usage. During one third of the 365-day year, the hospital is unable to provide adequate numbers of single rooms for one to 20 patients.

In vitro fertilization and embryo transfer as a treatment for male factor infertility

In vitro fertilization was attempted in 25 consecutive cycles as a treatment for male factor infertility. These cycles were compared with 25 control cycles in which a male factor was not present. The fertilization rates for mature oocytes in male factor cases and controls were 17% and 70%, respectively (P less than 0.001). For immature oocytes, the fertilization rates for study patients and controls, respectively, were 16% and 57% (P less than 0.001). Embryos were available for transfer in 36% of study cycles and in 88% of control cycles (P less than 0.01). The pregnancy per transfer rate for study cycles was 33% and for control cycles was 32%. The hamster ova penetration assay was 100% specific and 50% sensitive in predicting fertilization in vitro among male factor patients.

Induction of Ia antigens on synovial cells by gamma interferon

Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) is a potent inducer of class II MHC antigens (la) in vitro. Enhanced Ia Expression is a characteristic feature of inflamed rheumatoid synovium. We investigated the potential of Ia induction upon non-inflammatory synovial cells under the influences of gamma interferon, alpha interferon and conditional medium from concanavalin A (Con-A) stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes cultures (Con-A CM), Ia expression on enzyme dispersed cultured synovial cells decreased with time coincident with the loss of macrophage like cells. Addition of gamma interferon induced Ia molecules upon Ia negative synovial cells in a time and dose dependent manner, whereas alpha interferon treatment failed to induced Ia antigen. Con-A CM exerted the ability to induce Ia upon synovial cells. These findings suggest that: (1) Ia antigen expression by synovial tissue is the result of direct T cell influence: (2) non-inflammatory synovium has a potential to modulate Ia molecules under an altered environment.

The effects of enclomiphene and zuclomiphene citrates on mouse embryos fertilized in vitro and in vivo

The ovulatory agent clomiphene citrate, a racemic mixture of the estrogenic zuclomiphene and antiestrogenic enclomiphene isomers, has been associated with gamete/embryo toxicity in various animal models. To assess the potential effects of these isomers on fertilization and early embryogenesis, 3200 embryos were obtained from mouse oocytes fertilized in vivo and in vitro and exposed to increasing concentrations of zuclomiphene, enclomiphene, and clomiphene citrate in culture. Fertilization rates (p less than 0.01), blastocyst formation rates (p less than 0.02), and degeneration rates (p less than 0.005) were all adversely affected in a dose-dependent fashion. There were no statistically significant differences between the two isomers. Preincubation with 17 beta-estradiol did decrease the degenerative changes induced by clomiphene citrate but did not improve the decreased rate of blastocyst formation. These findings suggest adverse effects of a high concentration of clomiphene citrate and its isomers on fertilization and early mouse embryo growth that may have implications in the clinical use of this drug.

Conformations of complexes derived from the interactions of two stereoisomeric bay-region 5-methylchrysene diol epoxides with DNA

The reaction mechanisms of two isomeric bay-region diol epoxides of 5-methylchrysene (trans-1,2-dihydroxy-anti-3,4-epoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-5-methylchrysene (DE-I) and trans-7,8-dihydroxy-anti-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-5-methylchrysene (DE-II) with double-stranded DNA in aqueous solutions were studied utilizing kinetic flow dichroism and fluorescence techniques. As in the case of the previously studied benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-oxide isomers (BaPDE), both DE-I and DE-II rapidly form intercalation-type complexes (association constants K = 2700 and 1500 M-1 respectively in a neutral 5mM phosphate solution). The physically bound diol epoxide molecules react on time scales of minutes to form predominantly tetraols; a greater fraction (6 +/- 1%) of DE-I than of DE-II (2-3%) molecules react with the DNA to form covalent products. The DE-II isomer is characterized by a greater reactivity than DE-I, and the rates of reaction are markedly accelerated in the presence of DNA in both cases. The linear dichroism spectra of the covalent adducts reveal that the conformations of both types of adducts are similar, with the long axes of the phenanthrenyl chromophores tilted, on the average, at angles of 38-52 degrees with respect to the average orientations of the transition moments (at 260 nm) of the DNA bases. The conformations of the covalently bound DE-I and DE-II molecules resemble those observed in the case of the highly tumorigenic (+) enantiomer of anti-BaPDE.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The acute effects of exercise on prolactin and growth hormone secretion: comparison between sedentary women and women runners with normal and abnormal menstrual cycles

Acute exercise may stimulate PRL secretion, which, in turn, may contribute to exercise-associated menstrual dysfunction. We compared the response of PRL secretion in sedentary women and women runners with normal and abnormal menstrual cycles. We also studied the GH response to acute exercise, as GH may bind to lactogenic receptors. Five nonrunning women, 5 eumenorrheic running women, four oligomenorrheic running women, and six amenorrheic running women were studied on 2 consecutive days. On day 1, the women cycled on a bicycle ergometer against an increasing workload until total exhaustion. Serum PRL and GH increased several-fold in response to acute exercise in all three groups of running women. On day 2, the women simulated a daily training run by enduring a designed submaximal exercise regimen. In response to submaximal exercise, no group had a significant elevation of PRL or GH. Therefore, a threshold of exercise intensity exists that must be achieved before a significant increase in PRL or GH secretion occurs in women runners; serum PRL and GH in the nonrunning group did not increase significantly even in response to acute maximal exercise. The transient elevations in PRL and GH in women runners probably do not contribute to their menstrual dysfunction unless individual hypersensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis to such intermittent elevations is present.

Studies on the distribution of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase in rat

O6-Methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase, a DNA repair enzyme which transfers the methyl group of O6-methylguanine residue to a cysteinyl residue in the methyltransferase itself, was examined in rat organs by quantifying the S-methylcysteine formed in the methyl acceptor protein. Among the various organs examined, the spleen exhibited the highest enzyme specific activity followed by the thymus, liver, lung and testis. Brain had the lowest activity. The patterns of subcellular distribution of the methyltransferase in spleen and liver were different: while 75-80% of the activity was present in the nuclear fraction of the spleen, 54% of the activity in the liver was found in the nuclei and 35% in the cytosolic fraction. Forty-five and thirty-five percent of the total nuclear enzyme activity could be extracted with 1 M and 2 M NaCl solutions, respectively, indicating that the repair enzyme is not tightly bound to the nuclear matrix. When isolated nuclei were incubated with [methyl-3H]DNA substrate and subsequently fractionated into histone and non-histone protein fractions, over 90% of the radioactivity was coeluted on a Bio-Rex 70 column with the non-histone fraction and only a negligible amount of radioactivity was found to be associated with the histone fraction. The molecular mass of the [methyl-3H]methyltransferase in the non-histone fraction was determined to be 23,000, and its pI value was found to be 6.6 by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Study on the platelet factor and beta-thromboglobulin in the patients with ischemic heart disease

The platelet factor 4 (PF₄) and β-thromboglobulin (β-TG) were measured to evaluate the platelet activation in vivo in patients with ischemic heart disease. The results are summarized as follows: 1. In patients with acute myocardial infarction, the PF₄ and the β-TG levels were significantly higher compared to those of normal controls (P<0.005). 2. In patients with angina pectoris, the PF₄ and the β-TG levels were not signivicantly different from those of normal controls. 3. A pattern of decline in the PF₄ and the β-TG level was shown in patients with acute myocardial infarction by day 10. In conclusion, the measurement of PF₄ and β-TG is a useful method to detect the platect activation in vivo in the patients with ischemic heart disease.

The studies on the gastrin levels in the patients with renal failure

Fasting and postprandial gastrin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in serum from 15 patients with renal failure and compared with those in 15 healthy controls. Pre- and posthemodialysis gastrin levels were also measured.

The fasting serum gastrin levels and serum gastrin response to a standard meal in the patients with renal failure were significantly higher than those in normal controls.

Fasting and meal stimulated gastrin levels were not significantly different in renal failure patients with peptic ulcer when compared with those in renal failure patients without peptic ulcer.

There were no statistically significant differences in the serum gastrin levels before and after hemodialysis in patients with renal failure.