[Cutaneous tumor metastasis. A possible first clinical event of visceral neoplasms]

Two cases of visceral malignant tumours due to cutaneous metastases (stomach adenocarcinoma and left pulmonary adenocarcinoma). Are reported in both cases the cutaneous lesions represent the first clinical phenomenon of the disease.

Characterization of [3H]dopamine uptake sites and [3H]cocaine recognition sites in primary cultures of mesencephalic neurons during in vitro development

[3H]Dopamine uptake and [3H]cocaine binding sites were studied in primary cultures of ventral mesencephalon from 14-day-old rat embryos. Specific binding sites for [3H]cocaine and [3H]mazindol were detected only in intact cell cultures of ventral mesencephalon, and were absent in sonicated, washed membranes prepared from these cell cultures. [3H]Cocaine was not taken up by the cells through an active transport process because [3H]cocaine binding occurred also at 4 degrees C. Moreover, the possibility of [3H]cocaine entering the cells by passive diffusion and ion trapping was also excluded because extensive washing failed to remove [3H]cocaine from the cells. [3H]Cocaine binding was reduced to 6% of control when cells were permeabilized with streptolysin O (0.2 U/ml, 5 min). Taken together, these results suggest that in cultured mesencephalic neurons, [3H]cocaine may enter the cell by passive diffusion and then be sequestered by a cytosolic compartment that is lost in the process of permeabilization or sonication and washing of membrane preparations. Permeabilization of cultured neurons failed to alter the storage of [3H]dopamine. When cells were permeabilized with streptolysin O (0.2 U/ml; 5 min) after [3H]dopamine was taken up, [3H]dopamine was retained by the cells and did not leak into the incubation medium, indicating that [3H]dopamine was stored in sites that could not pass through the perforated membranes. In contrast, [3H]dopamine uptake into already permeabilized cells was reduced by 33%, suggesting that a cytosolic protein that had leaked out may play a functional role in the uptake process. In contrast to striatal membrane preparations of adult rats, [3H]cocaine binding in intact mesencephalic cell cultures was Na+ independent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Lateral preference and verbal skills: a survey in school settings

The relation among hand, foot and eye lateral preference indices and certain verbal ability tests was studied in a group of 497 elementary school children. According to the performance on the verbal ability tests, the original sample was divided into a Lower and an Upper Group, and percentages of left preferences, consistent right and left preferences, crossed hand-foot, hand-eye, foot-eye preferences and congruent preferences were compared. The only comparison that proved to be significant was the evidence of a lower left preference percentage in reading speed in the Upper Group as compared to the Lower Group. A similar series of comparisons between a subgroup (N = 14) of children with serious reading problems and the group as a whole, did not lead to significant results. We therefore conclude that at least for subjects regularly attending school, there is no relation among lateral preference and the above mentioned verbal skills.

Pharmacological characterization of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in rat limbocortical areas. I. Frontal cortex

The mesolimbocortical dopaminergic system innervates several brain regions including the frontal cortex. The aim of our work was both to identify and to pharmacologically characterize the dopamine receptors located in this brain area. We found that different selective agonists for D1 receptors were able to increase adenylate cyclase activity, and these effects were antagonized by haloperidol and SCH 23390. Moreover different agonists for D2 receptors inhibited the cyclic AMP generating system, and these effects were prevented by (-)-sulpiride. According to the paradigm that D1 receptors are linked with adenylate cyclase in a stimulatory way, while D2 receptors are linked with the same enzyme in an inhibitory way, our results indicate the presence of both D1 and D2 receptors in rat frontal cortex.

Pharmacological characterization of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in rat limbocortical areas. II. Dorsal hippocampus

The mesolimbocortical dopamine (DA) system innervates several brain regions including the hippocampus. The aim of the present study was both to identify and to pharmacologically characterize the DA receptors located in this brain area. The results show that different agonists for D1 DA receptors, such as DA itself, SKF82526 and (-)-apomorphine, were able to increase adenylate cyclase activity, and these effects were antagonized by haloperidol and SCH 23390. Moreover bromocriptine, lisuride and RU 24213, which are agonists for D2DA receptors, inhibited the cyclic AMP generating system and these effects were prevented by (-)-sulpiride. According to the paradigm that D1 DA receptors are linked with adenylate cyclase in a stimulatory way, while D2 DA receptors are linked with the same enzyme in an inhibitory way, our results indicate the presence of both D1 and D2 receptors in rat hippocampus. Localization studies show that both DA receptor subtypes are restricted to the dorsal part of the hippocampus.

[Observations on lipid metabolism in normal pregnancy and in some pathological pregnancy disorders]

Chemical determination of total and esterified cholesterol and electrophoretic separation of plasma lipoproteins was carried out in a chemico-clinical approach to the pathology of lipide metabolism in pregnancy. In a future study, the investigation will be extended to the neonatal aspect of the problem. 136 women were studied, with 446 samples being taken, specifically: 65 controls, i.e. pregnant women not presenting pathology that might obviously involve lipide metabolism, 36 hypertense pregnant women, 28 diabetic and 7 with gravidic hepatosis. Observation of the data confirms that in pregnancy there is a steady, meaningful increase in cholesterolaemia and that the electrophoretic picture shows a steady reduction in alpha-lipoproteins, with stimulatneous increase in pre-beta proteins, reaching a peak in hepatosis cases, and an increase in beta lipoproteins. All this agrees with functional and teleological modifications in lipide metabolism during gestation.