Postnatal transfer of PCBs from exposed mothers to their babies: influence of breast-feeding

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in the blood of mothers who were occupationally exposed to PCBs in a capacitor manufacturing facility, and their children, were analyzed from 1975 to 1979. The factory terminated PCB use in 1972, and environmental PCBs were eliminated artificially. Despite this, blood PCB levels of the mothers were very high, i.e., 10-100 times higher than that of non-occupationally exposed persons. In a previous report, we discussed the relationship between breast-feeding and PCB levels in the blood. This relationship is confirmed further by the present investigation which continued during a 5-yr period. The PCB levels in blood of children were influenced greatly by the duration of breast-feeding, but showed little relationship to the PCB levels in maternal blood. The PCB exposure period of the mothers, time of birth, and age of the children were less clearly related to the PCB levels in the children. The PCB concentration in the children's blood decreased at a constant rate and was independent of their blood PCB levels. A similar result was noted for their mothers' PCB levels. A slight difference, however, was found in the rate of decrease of blood PCB levels between the mothers and children. The results of questionnaire research on the health conditions and the medical examinations for the children showed that frequency of complaints, e.g., red eye, fever, itchy skin, and carious teeth, related favorably to the duration of breast-feeding. Less severe findings, i.e., decay of nails, pigmentation, mottled enamel, carious teeth, which were typical symptoms in yusho patients, were observed in some children. They were not, however, diagnosed as having PCB poisoning inasmuch as medical treatments were unnecessary.

Effects of nicardipine and other Ca2+-antagonists on catecholamine transport into chromaffin granule membrane vesicles

Nicardipine (10(-7)-2 X 10(-5) M) inhibited the transport of noradrenaline into chromaffin granule membrane vesicles in a concentration-dependent manner. This inhibitory effect of nicardipine was found to be appreciably stronger than that of other Ca2+-antagonists(diltiazem, nifedipine and verapamil) and was not due to the blockade of Ca2+-channel in the granule membranes.

Anatomical and biomechanical factors in the curve pattern formation of idiopathic scoliosis

The maximum range of motion between two adjacent vertebrae without soft tissues was measured from C1-C2 down to L5-S and factors such as rotation, lateral bending, extension, and flexion, during surface contact movement of the facet joints, were investigated. Thirty human cadaveric spines were studied. It was found that the individual spines had a characteristic level-dependent difference in the capacity for elementary motions at the facet joints. Those segments with restricted motion capacity were termed "spinal nodes". The human spine usually has three to four spinal nodes between the skull and the sacrum. They are C7-T1, T4-T5, T8-T9, and T11-T12. This intrinsic structural character of the human spine is expressed as "nodal motion structure". We postulate that this structure plays an important role in the formation of curve patterns in idiopathic scoliosis and other spinal deformities.

Effect of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated quaterphenyls in Cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis)

Female Cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) with P-KC-400, Y-PCB, PY-PCB or polychlorinated quaterphenyls (PCQ) received a daily dose of 5 mg for 20 weeks, and some monkeys received a daily dose of 10 mg of Y-PCB or 0.5 mg of PCQ. The chemical compositions of the polychlorobiphenyls (PCB) used for the oral administration were as follows: P-KC-400, PCB from which polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDF) have been removed from Kanecklor 400, largely contains tri- and tetrachlorobiphenyls and no PCDF. Whereas, Y-PCB and PY-PCB, PCB with constituents similar to PCB ingested by yusho patients, largely contain penta- and hexachlorobiphenyls, in addition, PCDF of 400 ppm was present only in Y-PCB, but not in PY-PCB. There were immunosuppression, enlargement and histopathological changes of the liver (such as interstitial inflammation, and proliferation of epithelial cells of biliary duct, etc.) in the groups fed P-KC-400 and PY-PCB (free of PCDF). In the group fed Y-PCB (with PCDF), there were more apparent decreases in body weight, immunosuppression, fatty liver and histopathological changes than in the groups P-KC-400 and PY-PCB. In addition, there were hair loss, acneform eruptions, edema of the eyelid, congestion and abscess of the Meibomian gland, and cornifications of the skin, characteristic dermatological findings of yusho disease.

Role of polychlorinated dibenzofuran in yusho (PCB poisoning)

In the blood of 15 patients with yusho or "polychlorinated biphenyl poisoning" that occurred in 1979 in Taiwan, was found polychlorinated dibenzofurans (14 of 15) and polychlorinated quaterphenyls (15 of 15), as well as polychlorinated biphenyls (15 of 15). The mean concentration ratio of these substances was approximately 1 : 160 : 500. Based on the following evidence, we propose that polychlorinated quaterphenyls were major pathogenic substances in the development of yusho: (1) Clinical manifestations and course of yusho patients are disproportionately severe and persistent for the observed blood levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, while patients who were occupationally exposed to pure polychlorinated biphenyls take characteristically mild and benign clinical course despite polychlorinated biphenyl levels often much higher than those noted in yusho patients; (2) Polychlorinated debenzofurans show a marked tendency to accumulate in the liver, which might explain frequent presence of jaundice and other abdominal symptoms in yusho, which are, again, not observed in those with occupational polychlorinated biphenyl poisoning; (3) Toxicity of polychlorinated dibenzofurans is a hundred to ten thousand times greater than that of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated quaterphenyls in animal experiments.

Catecholamine uptake and release in isolated chromaffin granules exposed to halothane

The effects of halothane on the catecholamine release from chromaffin granules and the uptake of 14C-epinephrine into the granules were studied using isolated bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin granules. The granules were isolated with a Millipore filter, and were incubated for 10 min in an isotonic medium containing adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-Mg++. At halothane concentration of 0.4 mM or greater, the uptake of 14C-epinephrine into the granules was inhibited in a dose-related manner. At 0.7 mM halothane, epinephrine uptake was reduced to 56 per cent of control. The inhibition was completely reversible after removal of halothane from the medium. The inhibitory effect of halothane was not affected by high-osmolar medium. Catecholamine release from isolated chromaffin granules was enhanced by halothane at concentrations of more than 1.3 mM, but was not affected when the concentration was 0.7 mM or less. The results suggest the possiblity that halothane might alter the intracellular storage-turnover process and the subsequent release pattern of catecholamines. The possible mechanisms of this action are discussed.

Effects of cyclopropane on catecholamine release from bovine adrenal medulla

The direct effects of cyclopropane on both adrenal medullary release of catecholamines and release of catecholamines from isolated chromaffin granules were examined. Cyclopropane had no effect on the spontaneous release of catecholamines from perfused bovine adrenals, while it reversibly inhibited carbachol-induced release of catecholamines in a dose-dependent manner. At 20 per cent cyclopropane, catecholamine release was reduced to 52 per cent of control. Cyclopropane exerted no action on spontaneous release or Mg++-ATP-dependent release of catecholamines from isolated chromaffin granules. Thus, the authors conclude that the direct action of cyclopropane on the adrenal medullary release of catecholamines is inhibitory, and that chromaffin granules are not the site of action of this anesthetic.

The effect of purothionin on bovine adrenal medullary cells

The effect of purothionin, a peptide isolated from wheat flour, on adrenal medullary cells was examined in perfused bovine adrenal glands. Addition of purothionin (4 microgram/ml) to the perfusion fluid caused the release of cytoplasmic glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (c-GOT), DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) and magnesium ions, which are present in the cytoplasmic fraction of adrenal medulla, but not the release of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) or mitochondrial glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (m-GOT), which are located in the particulate fraction. These results suggest that purothionin makes small pores in the cytoplasmic membranes of bovine adrenal medullary cells, resulting in the leakage of the cytoplasmic proteins and ions from the cells.

Effects of muscle relaxants on catecholamine release from adrenal medulla

Bovine adrenals were perfused with secretagogues in the presence or absence of muscle relaxants. On a molar basis, Dially-nor-toxiferine was as potent as tubocurarine in inhibiting the catecholamine release induced by carbachol; pancuronium was about 100 times less potent than tubocurarine, whereas gallamine and succinylcholine produced no inhibition whatsoever. KCl-induced catechoamine release was not affected by any of these compounds. Nicotine-induced catecholamine release was inhibitedby diallyl-nor-toxiferine, tubocurarine and pancuronium, but not by gallamine or succinylcholine. Muscarine failed to stimulate the adrenal medulla to release catecholamines. The results show that the inhibition of catecholamine release is based on the specific block of the nicotinic receptor, whereas gallamine and succinylcholine possess no blocking action, and that diallyl-nor-toxiferine and tubocurarine might affect clinical symptoms under conditions in which catecholamine release from the adrenal is increased by a compensatory mechanism.

Inhibitory effect of quinidine on catecholamine release from adrenal medulla

Quinidine was found to inhibit catecholamine release from the medulla of perfused adrenal glands induced by carbamylcholine. It also inhibited the release of catecholamine from adrenomedullary granules induced by ATP-Mg++.

Inhibition by trichlormethiazide of catecholamine release from perfused bovine adrenals

Effect of thiazides on catecholamine release was examined using perfused bovine adrenal glands in vitro. Thiazides, such as trichlormethiazide and methyclothiazide inhibited catecholamine release evoked by carbamylcholine although they did not inhibit catecholamine release evoked by excess potassium. Thus it seems that these drugs inhibit catecholamine release release by an anticholinergic mechanism. Such inhibitory effect of thiazide on catecholamine release may be involved in the antihypertensive effect of these drugs.

A study of radiographic variations of the hip joint

Anteroposterior radiographs of the pelvis were studied in 920 patients free of hip joint diseases. The average joint space was between 3 and 4 mm in width. Narrowing of the superior joint space was seen in 13 percent of the hips and may represent the earliest finding in osteoarthritis. It was noted as early as the second and third decade in some patients. Other changes noted were narrowing of the lateral joint space, uniform narrowing of the space, an irregular joint space and tilting of the femoral head on the neck.