Menière's disease and endolymphatic hydrops: clinical-histopathological correlations

The clinical-histopathological correlation between Menière's disease and endolymphatic hydrops was done to explain, as much as possible, causes of symptoms of Menière's disease. Twenty-three temporal bones with endolymphatic hydrops from 17 patients were reviewed and clinical and histopathological findings were correlated. Histopathological examination revealed frequent, severe deformities in the labyrinthine walls and permanent changes in Reissner's membranes. Evidence of rupture was difficult to assess. Of 21 ears of patients with the clinical diagnosis of Menière's disease, 93% had endolymphatic hydrops. A statistical correlation between increased area of the cochlear duct and hearing loss was found. Some correlation was also found between frequency of vertigo and results of electronystagmography with histopathological findings. Consequently, the mechanical effect of endolymphatic hydrops seems to have greater significance in the production of symptoms of Menière's disease than the biochemical effect of ruptures. In a review of ten unusual cases from this series of 17 patients, traumatic neuromas or remnants of vestibular structures were found after an incomplete labyrinthectomy. Histopathological findings of four patients who had undergone endolymphatic subarachnoid shunt surgery are described.

Radiological Diagnosis of Periventricular and Subcortical Leukomalacia

Nine newborn infants with histories of perinatal asphyxia are presented. The pneumoencephalographic findings which led to the diagnosis are typical and constant. They include marked subcortical atrophy with rounded, dilated, and undisplaced lateral ventricles. Cystography with 3 cc of air demonstrated multiple subcortical and pareventricular cavities, without communication with the ventricular system, but with the typical honeycomb appearance of paraventricular and subcortical leukomalacia described in postmortem findings. The CT findings are typical, and provide the location of the cavities as well as their density.

Comparison of polysomal and nuclear poly(A)-containing RNA populations from normal rat liver and Novikoff hepatoma

Polysomal and nuclear poly(A)-containing RNA of normal rat liver and Novikoff hepatoma cells have been compared by cDNA.RNA hybridization kinetics. Homologous hybridization reactions revealed at total kinetic complexity of about 1.6 X 10(10) and 1.38 X 10(10) daltons for liver and Novikoff mRNA respectively. The high abundance component present in liver cannot be detected in Novikoff. It was found from heterologous reactions that about 30% by weight of mRNA sequences are specific to liver. Determination of the nuclear poly(A)-containing RNA complexities revealed that about 5.5% and 4% of the haploid genome is expressed in the liver and Novikoff respectively. In a heterologous reaction, up to 30% of the liver cDNA failed to form hybrids with Novikoff nuclear RNA. Cross hybridizations have further revealed abundance shifts in both nuclear and polysomal RNA populations. Some sequences abundant in liver are less abundant in Novikoff and some rare liver sequences are relatively abundant in Novikoff.

Penetration of the cochlear endost by the fibrous component of the otosclerotic focus

The role of the "third", "fibrous" component of the otosclerotic focus in penetrating and absorbing the cochlear endost is documented. An otosclerotic focus rich in fibrous-granulomatous component shows equal power as spongiotic or sclerotic components producing fragmentation resulting in rosary-formed absorption of the endost opening access to the soft-tissue containing regions of the cochlea.

Nutritional assessment: indications and applications

The application of objective measures of protein and caloric compartments as well as immunocompetence reveal that approximately 50 percent of hospitalized patients are malnourished. The performance of a nutritional assessment, by a joint effort of hospital personnel, in patients with subclinical or early clinical malnutrition obviates potential complications through early institution of nutritional support. Prudent, logical decisions based on objective data can then be made regarding future patient care resulting in decreased hospitalization, and lower septic and mortality rates.

Absorption and fate of canthaxanthin in chicken

Male Hubbard chickens were fed on a diet supplemented with canthaxanthin. The carotenoid was chemically unmodified during its absorption of distribution. Pigment was preferentially stored in the skin of legs. The percent distribution of carotenoid in the different organs did not vary with the administered dose or during the treatment. Digestibility, expressed as the ratio absorbed: ingested pigment, was maximal in the first day, and then decreased. Digestibility was dependent on the animal body weight.

Isolation and characterization of soluble fractions of Dermatophagoides farinae

Dermatophagoides farinae extract was filtered through Sephadex G-50 and DEAE-cellulose columns to study its chemical composition. Fractionation on Sephadex G-50 resulted in one definite peak of protein and in three sugar peaks. Fractionation of the protein peak on DEAE-cellulose produced four more protein peaks and another five sugar peaks. Twenty-one untreated allergic patients suffering from perennial rhinitis and bronchial asthma with clinical sensitivity to house dust were subjected to skin tests with house dust 1:100, dermatophagoides farinae 1:100 and also its thirteen eluted fractions 1:100. Positive results were recorded with house-dust, mite and six or perhaps seven fractions consisting of three or four proteins and three sugars. Immunization in rabbits with mite extract revealed only one slight precipitin band by the Ouchterlony technique and a 1:20 titer of hemagglutinating antibodies. The antigen or antigens of mite extract seemed to be producers of type I reactions rather than circulating antibodies of the IgG class. This represented a point of controversy for the therapeutic application of Dermatophagoides farinae in human desensitization.

[Down's dyndrome and congenital heart disease (author's transl)]

Out of a group of 113 cases of Down's syndrome 50 were associated with congenital heart disease, confirmed by haemodynamic, angiographic and surgical means. The mean age was 36.6 months. Twelve were cyanotic, six of them because of an inverted previous left-toright shunt. The endocardial cushion defect, alone or in association, accounted for 40% of these anomalies, and ventricular septal defect for 26%. If the cases with right ventricle outflow obstruction are excluded, 50% presented pulmonary pressures over 70 mmHg. In addition, 80% of endocardial cushion defects presented pulmonary hypertension, being the three fourths under one year of life. On the basis of the data presented, authors remark the need of an early approach to specialized diagnosis of these children, in order to allow an earlier surgical correction or palliation than in children without Down syndrome.

Congenital medulloblastoma. Report of two cases

Congenital medulloblastoma caused severe hydrocephalus in two patients, one aged one day and the other 5 months.

[Immunochemical properties of secretory IgA of human colostrum]

Immunochemical properties of secretory IgA obtained from the colostrum of healthy post-partum women are discussed. Lipids were completely eliminated by centrifugation and the supernatant was adjusted at pH 8.0 with NaOH and dialysed against a PBS buffer. Fractionation through a Sephadex G-200 column was fractionated again through a DEAE-cellulose column which eluted only pure IgA. Aliquots of 3 ml each were checked for protein content in an Uvicord spectrophotometer at 254 millimicron. Three fractions were obtained from the Sephadex column, the first involving tubes 50 to 90 contained IgA and IgM, the second from tubes 91 to 120 contained IgG and the third from tubes 130 to 150 contained alfa-lactalbumin and lactotransferrin. Passage of fraction I through a DEAE-cellulose column led to the collection of pure IgA in tubes 45 to 80 with the highest content in tube 53 which was employed in the immunization of rabbits. Ouchterlony immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis were employed to check the reactivity among whole colostrum as well as Sephadex and DEAE-cellulose fractions against an anti-IgA, anti-IgM, anti-IgG, anti-immunoglobulins and anti-whole human sera. Several precipitin bands revealed that human colostrum contained IgA, IgG, and IgM. Pure secretory IgA was used to immunize adult rabbits with complete and incomplete Freund's adjuvant for a period of two months. A rabbit anti-IgA serum was then obtained and after being purified by saline precipitation and dialysis and passed through a DEAE-cellulose column, was labeled with I-131 reaching a specific activity of 20 microCi/mg. This antiserum was used against human colostrum, normal serum and saliva, and serum and urine from a patient with an IgA myeloma confirmed by means of precipitin methods and autoradiographies. Chemical purity of the secretory IgA was confirmed by analytic ultracentrifugation obtaining a sedimentation value of S 20: 10.5. In all cases a single precipitin band was obtained in spite of the low concentration of the antigens; the isotopic labelling did not alter the specificity and the sensitivity of the antiserum and its usefulness was well established. The biological properties of secretory IgA are described and its importance in local immunity is emphasized.

Occlusion of the cerebral arteries in Recklinghausen's disease

Two children, aged 18 months and 6 years, who had Recklinghausen's disease, had occlusion of cerebral arteries. One child had no motor deficit but the other had right hemiparesis and partial occlusion of the left posterior cerebral artery, a fact not found in the literature.

Spontaneous ventriculostomy and ventricular diverticulum

Four cases of ventricular diverticulum are presented, 2 with spontaneous ventriculostomy. In 2 patients, the cause was monoventricular hydrocephalus through congenital stenosis of the foramen of Monro, with paraventricular diverticula and spontaneous ventriculostomy. Both patients had a cystic space in the quadrigeminal and supracerebellar cistern. In one patient during pneumoencephalography, the ventricular diverticulum filled via the ventriculostomy. The other 2 patients had congenital stenosis of the Sylvian aqueduct with the formation of a large supratentoria cyst connecting with the posterior part of the third ventricule.

Traumatic neuroma: a complication of transcanal labyrinthectomy

Transcanal labyrinthectomy is frequently unsuccessful in controlling vertigo due to intractable Meniere's disease. It may in fact make the condition worse due to the formation of a traumatic neuroma. The translabyrinthine vestibular nerve section is more reliable, but the morbidity is greater. Therefore, the transcanal procedure is usually recommended as the initial procedure, but the patient is warned that a second more extensive procedure may be necessary to control dizziness.

Effect of bleeding on irradiation-induced erythropoiesis in the spleen of AKR mice

The effect of erythropoietin, increased by bleeding, on the erythropoiesis induced by irradiation in the spleen of AKR mice, has been studied. The following parameters were measured to quantify the erythropoietic activity: the number and size of hematopoietic nodules (colonies) and proerythroblasts in the spleen, the spleen, blood and red-cell 59Fe uptake and the hematocrit and reticulocytes in the blood. Under erythropoietic stimulus an increase in the number and size of colonies was observed and these colonies were observed sooner because of their more rapid growth. The proerythroblasts in the spleen appeared earlier, and there were increases in the spleen, blood and red-cell 59Fe uptake and in the hematocrit and reticulocytes in the blood.

[Communication between the right coronary artery and the right atrium. Apropos of 2 surgical cases]

Two cases of anomalous communication of the right coronary artery with the right atrium (the so-called coronary artery fistula) are presented. Both were young females in which a continuous murmur was heard during routine examination. The x-ray image was typical, with a huge bulge in the right border similar to that seen in cases of right atrium enlargement. The ECG was normal in both patients. The diagnosis was made during cardiac catheterization and angiocardiography. A slight left-to-right shunt was present and the aneurismatic dilatation of right coronary artery and communication with the right atrium could be documented. In both cases a surgical closure of the defect was performed, both being well after two years and eight months respectively.

Kinetic complexity of nuclear poly(A)-containing RNA in normal and regenerating rat liver

Poly(A)-containing RNA isolated from liver nuclei of untreated rats and 3 h or 12 h after partial hepatectomy or sham operation was hybridized to the complementary DNAs (cDNAs). In the homologous reactions two major components could be seen. When compared to normal liver, the complexity of the least abundant class was lower in nuclei from livers 3 h after partial hepatectomy and was higher in those isolated 12 h after operation. The heterologous reactions revealed an increase of some abundant poly(A)-containing sequences and a loss or dilution of rare sequences 3 h after operation. The latter effect was not specific to the regeneration process but occurred after laparotomy as well. 12 h after partial hepatectomy, however, about 10% new poly(A)-containing sequences were detected, corresponding to about 5000 molecules of 4500 nucleotides length, which are unique to regenerating nuclei.

The wide spectrum of the asphyxiating thoracic dysplasia

Seven cases of A. T. D. are presented. Radiological findings were extraordinarily diverse. The prognosis of the disease is difficult for each individual case, because of the frequent pulmonary complications and cystic renal lesions are not always directly related to the severity of the bone changes. The authors believe that the term "thoracic-pelvic-phalangeal dysplasia" proposed by Langer, is the most adequate, since it points to the key factors in the diagnosis of the disease.

Congenital atresia of the foramen of Monro

Two cases of congenital atresia of the foramen of Monro are described, one 8 days old and the other 2 months old. Both are associated with a parieto-occipital paraventricular diverticulum and spontaneous ventriculostomy with the passing of the cerebrospinal fluid to the posterior fossa and the formation of a cyst in the supracerebella region which compressed and displaced the structures of the posterior fossa.

Purification and reverse transcription of the messenger RNA coding for the insect protein, calliphorin, isolated from larvae of the blowfly, Calliphora vicina R.-D

Starting from poly(A)-containing RNA prepared from the fat body of larvae of the blowfly Calliphora vicina, we have purified an mRNA coding for the protein calliphorin, which is a major blowfly protein accounting for approximately 9% of the total poly(A)-containing mRNA activity in the fat body of 5-days-old larvae, as demonstrated by translation in vitro. The mRNA for this protein was purified by sucrose gradient centrifugation under denaturing conditions and identified by cell-free translation. The peak fraction of the gradient shows three bands of about 20 S after formamide/acrylamide gel electrophoresis. Using reverse transcriptase and Calliphora mRNA isolated directly from the acrylamide gel electrophoresis or from sucrose gradients, we synthesized a cDNA probe. This cDNA hybridizes with the template, showing a major kinetic component with a molecular weight of 2.8 x 10(6), fitting well with the three bands observed in the electrophoresis. Hybridization of the cDNA with total sonicated Calliphora DNA shows annealing only at very high c0t values, indicating that Calliphora mRNA is transcribed from the unique portion of the fly genome.

Intracranial calcification in a neonate with the Sturge Weber syndrome and additional problems

The neonate in this report had severe encephalotrigeminal angiomatosis with intracranial calcification, cranial hemiatrophy, microcephaly and generalised severe cerebral atrophy. Such findings are not common in the newborn with this syndrome.

Carotenoid absorption in chicken intestine

The powdered flowers of marigold (Tagetes erecta) are used as a cheap source of carotenoids in avicultura. Lutein (3,3'-dyhydroxi-alpha-carotene) constitutes up to 85 to 90% of marigold carotenoids. In the plant, lutein is found esterified to palmitic or estearic acid. In chicken, carotenoid is hydrolized in the first portion of the small intestine, and absorbed as free lutein. After the absorption, lutein is not re-esterified in the different chicken tissues.

Cross-sex supervision for cross-sex therapy

The female supervisor can help the male therapist in training to overcome problems in cross-sex therapy by presenting herself as a role model, providing relevant literature, and sharing her own experiences as a woman and as a professional. By enabling the male trainee to identify safely with a woman in a position of relative power, she can help him to deal with the intrinsic limitations of empathy and with other problems, such as "countertransference deafness," that may block his work with female patients.

[Indications of vascular exploration in the diagnosis of abdominal neuroblastoma (author's transl)]

The criteria on the indications of angiography are shown in the diagnosis of abdominal neuroblastoma, stressing its' utility in situations where conventional procedures do not supply an accurate diagnosis. Angiography happens to be fundamental for diagnosis retroperitoneal tumours which eventually result in a silent kidney as well as for the differential diagnosis of some hepatic tumours and Pepper's syndrome.

Apparent half-lives of sugar transport proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Using incubation in the presence of 0.4 mM cycloheximide the half-lives of the principal membrane transport proteins in baker's yeast were found to be: more than 24 h for the constitutive glucose carrier, 2.2 h for the inducible galactose carrier, 1.2 h for the inducible maltose carrier and 0.8 h for the inducible alpha-methyl-D-glucoside carrier. The distinct nature of the two last-named carriers was thus supported. De-induction of the galactose carrier was enhanced in the presence of glucose plus cycloheximide but not of either substance alone. Chloramphenicol suppressed all effects of cycloheximide. In contrast to the enzymes of galactose metabolism, the induction of the glactose carrier was not under the control of a mitochondrial factor and took place in a rho-mutant. The system induced by maltose but not the one induced by alpha-methyl-D-glucoside was de-induced rapidly by the intervention of a cytoplasm-synthesized protein.

Indications for pneumoperitoneum in the diagnosis of congenital anomalies in the umbilical region

Thirty pneumoperitoneograms were performed postmortem and 5 were performed for diagnosis: the technique itself, the radiological anatomy of the umbilical region, and the usefulness of the procedure in diagnosis are discussed. Pneumoperitoneum may be indicated in the investigation of a bleeding Meckel's diverticulum, in the exclusion or confirmation of remnants of the omphalomesenteric duct, in chronically moist lesions of the umbilicus resistant to symptomatic treatment, in suspected cases of non-communicating urachal cysts which cannot be diagnosed by cystogram, and in the differential diagnosis of abdominal tumours related to the umbilical region.

Histone phosphorylation and synthesis of DNA and RNA during phases of proliferation and differentiation induced in mouse epidermis by the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate

The tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) induces discrete waves of proliferation and differentiation when applied to mouse epidermis. The aim of this study was to elucidate the temporal relationship between histone phosphorylation and synthesis of DNA and RNA in mouse epidermis during the process of tumor promotion. This investigation as facilitated by choosing a low but nevertheless strongly tumor-promoting dose of TPA (0.002 micronmole/mouse), which induced the epidermal cells to go through only one round of DNA synthesis and cell division. Histones were isolated from mouse epidermis, and the rates of phosphorylation of the individual histone species were determined at different times after treatment with TPA. The results demonstrated that the phosphorylation of H1 histone was initiated at about the same time as the synthesis of DNA but continued past the S phase and reached a maximum simultaneously with the maximum in the epidermal mitotic rate. The only other histone that phosphorylated to any significant extent was Histone H2A. From the results obtained, it was concluded that histone phosphorylation in the epidermis is related to the processes of DNA replication and mitosis after stimulation with TPA. Positive evidence for the activation of specific genes, which has been proposed by other authors to be important in the promotion of epidermal tumors, was not found in this investigation.

Characterization of the RNA transcribed in vitro from native mammalian DNA by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase

High-molecular-weight native mouse DNA was transcribed with Escherichia coli RNA polymerase under low salt conditions, and the nature of the DNA sequences transcribed determined by molecular hybridization. The results indicated that E. coli RNA polymerase does not transcribe the sequences in native mouse DNA randomly under these conditions. First, hybridization with a large excess of mouse DNA showed that no more than 5% of the RNA synthesized had been transcribed from repeated sequences in the DNA. Second, hybridization with tracer amounts of labelled non-repeated mouse DNA indicated that the bulk of the RNA had been transcribed from less than 1% of the non-repeated sequences and only about 10% had been transcribed from a further 25% of these sequences; the remaining non-repeated sequences in the DNA, amounting to 50% of the genome, were not represented in the RNA synthesized in vitro to any detectable extent. Third, the proportion (40%) of complementary DNA transcribed from mouse-liver nuclear polyadenylated RNA which hybridized with the RNA synthesized in vitro was significantly greater than would have been expected if transcription had been random. The data have also been interpreted as indicating the presence of two types of initiation site for E. coli RNA polymerase in the non-repeated sequences in mouse DNA. The frequencies of their occurrence have been calculated to be one per 150 000 base-pairs and one per 500 base-pairs, respectively.