(15S)-15 methyl prostaglandin F2 alpha levels in amniotic fluid and blood in second trimester abortions

A single intra-amniotic injection of (15S)-15 methyl prostaglandin F2 alpha (THAM) was used to induce second trimester abortion in five patients. Serial levels of (15S)-15 methyl prostaglandin F2 alpha were subsequently measured in amniotic fluid and plasma by radioimmunoassay. The slow removal of this drug from the amniotic fluid was documented. Plasma levels of (15S)-15 methyl prostaglandin F2 alpha increased fourfold to sevenfold after clinical rupture of the membranes in three patients, supporting the fact that prostaglandins are well absorbed from the vagina. Because this analogue of prostaglandin can cause marked peripheral bronchoconstriction when administered systemically, it is best to avoid its use in patients with a history of asthma.

Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea complicating pregnancy

Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea is an uncommone occurrence, especially when a history of previous trauma is absent. This report describes a case of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea occurring in a pregnant patient during the pushing portion of her Lamaze exercises, and discusses the management of labor and delivery.

The impact of hospitalization on the aerobic fecal microflora

Quantitative bacteriological analysis of the aerobic fecal microflora of 75 patients indicated that, at the time of admission to hospital, Escherichia coli were the predominant fecal aerotolerant bacteria. Subsequent fecal samples showed a progressive supplantation of E coli by Klebsiella, Enterobacter and Proteus. At the end of 21 days of hospitalization, E coli remained predominant in only 30 patients. None of the patients had received antibiotics, undergone surgery or been subjected to x-ray studies of the gastrointestinal tract. The cause of the change of fecal flora in these patients is unknown, and no change of flora was observed in a control group of nonhospitalized persons, also studied for 21 days. The appearance of Klebsiella, Enterobacter and Proteus as predominant in the fecal flora of hospitalized patients may be an important factor in the natural history of hospital-associated infections.

The relation between aerobic fecal and oropharyngeal microflora in hospitalized patients

The aerobic fecal and oropharyngeal bacterial flora was examined in 75 patients hospitalized, but not given antibiotics; in 70 patients given antibiotics during hospitalization and in 25 nonhospitalized controls. In all subjects, when first examined, normal throat flora were predominant. At the end of 21 days, however, a gram-negative bacilli became predominant in 17 (22.7%) of the Hospital Group and 33 (47.1%) of the Antibiotic Group. Newly appearing genera of gram-negative bacilli in the pharynx were almost always represented those present in the fecal flora. The Hospital Group all had recognizable components of the normal oropharyngeal flora present at 21 days, but 12 (17.1%) of the Antibiotic Group had no demonstrable normal oropharyngeal flora at 21 days. The findings suggest that hospitalization alone can be associated with the appearance of gram-negative bacilli in the oropharynx, and that the intestinal tract is their most likely point of origin.

Lightning: a rare cause of intrauterine death with maternal survival

Being struck by lightning is frequently a fatal event. Prompt attention to cardiopulmonary resuscitation, even in the patient who appears dead, will often bring dramatic results. In the pregnant patient, one can only hope that rapid restoration of cardiac and pulmonary activity will decrease perinatal mortality.

Structure of Plant Cell Walls: IX. Purification and Partial Characterization of a Wall-degrading Endo-Arabanase and an Arabinosidase from Bacillus subtilis

Wild type Bacillus subtilis, when grown on beet araban, secretes into its culture medium an endo-arabanase and two arabinosidases. An alternate procedure to one previously described (Kaji A, T Saheki 1975 Biochim Biophys Acta 410: 354-360) has been developed for the purification of the endo-arabanase. The purified endo-arabanase is shown to be homogeneous by sodium dodecyl sulfate-urea disc gel electrophoresis (molecular weight approximately 32,000) and by isoelectric focusing (pI = 9.3). The endo-arabanase, acting on a branched araban substrate, has maximal activity at pH 6.0 and preferentially cleaves 5-linked arabinosyl residues. One of the arabinosidases (molecular weight approximately 65,000, pI = 5.3) has been purified to the point that it contains only one quantitatively minor contaminant, as shown by sodium dodecyl sulfate-urea disc gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. The purified arabinosidase, acting on p-nitrophenyl-alpha-l-arabinofuranoside, has maximal activity at pH 6.5, and, when acting on a branched araban substrate, preferentially attacks nonreducing terminal arabinosyl residues linked to the 2 or 3 position of other arabinosyl residues. Neither of the two purified enzymes is capable of hydrolyzing a variety of carbohydrate substrates which lack arabinosidic linkages. The purified endo-arabinase is shown to be capable of releasing arabinosyl oligomers from the walls of suspension-cultured sycamore cells, thereby suggesting its usefulness as a probe in studying the structure of the araban component of primary cell walls.

The influence of chemotherapy on response of patients with hematologic malignancies to influenza vaccine

Bivalent influenza vaccine (containing antigens A/Victoria and A/New Jersey) was administered to 52 patients with hematologic malignancies, and pre- and postvaccination antibody titers to both antigens were determined by hemagglutination-inhibition. In comparison to healthy controls, mean antibody titer elevations were lower for both antigens in all disease groups, being significant (p less than 0.05) for A/Victoria in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, acute leukemia and lymphoproliferative diseases, and for A/New Jersey in patients with Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. In comparison to controls, significant depression of antibody response to both antigens was seen in patients on combination chemotherapy (p less than 0.0005), to a lesser extent in patients on daily single alkylating agent chemotherapy (p less than 0.05), while untreated patients did not differ significantly. Lymphopenia and depressed immunoglobulin levels were associated with a higher failure rate in eliciting "protective" greater than or equal to fourfold antibody titer increases. The findings suggest that patients with hematologic malignancies who are receiving chemotherapy at the time of vaccination are unlikely to attain seroconversion to protective antibody levels with influenza vaccine.

Negative and positive incentive contrast effects with saccharine versus sucrose

Forty male white rats received 19 sessions of bar press training with sucrose (16% or 4%) as reward followed by a shift from 4% to 16% and from 16% to 4%. Three dependent measures indicated positive and negative contrast effects. In Experiment II, 70 male white rats received 14 sessions of bar press training with (1.2%, 1%, .10%, or .01%) saccharine, and water followed by a shift from 1.2% to .10%, 1.2% to .01%, 1 to .1%, and .10% to .01%. Three of the four measures indicated negative contrast effects. In Experiment III, 40 male white rats experienced 16 sessions of bar press training with 1%, .10%, .05%, or .01% of saccharine followed by an increase from .1%, to 1%, .05% to 1%, and .01% to 1%. Three of the measures indicated positive contrast effects. Confounding inherent in the use of solid food or sucrose did not appear to account for negative and positive incentive contrast effects.

Reversible sensorineural hearing loss with intravenous erythromycin lactobionate

Three patients are presented who developed reversible sensorineural hearing losses during treatment with intravenous erythromycin lactobionate. A fourth patient treated with erythromycin gluceptate did not develop hearing loss. Ototoxicity with erythromycin lactobionate has been previously reported in only three patients, one of whom had medication orally. Withdrawal of the antibiotic resulted in prompt improvement in every case with return of hearing to pretreatment levels.