Patient with limb girdle dystrophy presenting with dopa-responsive dystonia--a case report

Dopa-responsive dystonias are rare. We report a 14-year-old male who was diagnosed as a case of limb girdle dystrophy and had features suggestive of dopa-responsive dystonia.

Cauda-conus syndrome resulting from neurocysticercosis

A 60-year-old male, presented with insidious onset, gradually progressive, burning paresthesia over the saddle area, sphincteric disturbance, impotence and paraparesis. Investigations revealed a ring-enhancing lesion in the conus medullaris suggestive of neurocysticercosis. This was supported by quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay from purified cell fraction of taenia solium cysticerci. On treatment with steroids he showed marked improvement.

Atomic scale imaging and spectroscopy of a CuO(2) plane at the surface of Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+delta)

We have used a scanning tunneling microscope to demonstrate that a single CuO2 plane can form a stable and atomically ordered layer at the surface of Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+delta). In contrast to previous studies on high-T(c) surfaces, the CuO2-terminated surface exhibits a strongly suppressed tunneling conductance at low voltages. We consider a number of different explanations for this phenomena and propose that it may be caused by how the orbital symmetry of the CuO2 plane's electronic states affects the tunneling process.

Sertraline in chronic tension-type headache

OBJECTIVES

To study the effect of Sertraline, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in chronic tension type headache (CTTH) in a double blind placebo controlled randomized trial.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study design was a double blind placebo controlled randomized study of 50 patients, over a period of 10 weeks including run-in period of two weeks, treatment period four weeks, and follow-up four weeks. The diagnosis of CTTH was based on criteria given by International Headache Society (IHS). The overall response was graded in terms of headache index, analgesic intake per week and percentage reduction in headache frequency using chi-square and 't' test. Anxiety and depression was assessed using Hamilton Rating Scale.

RESULTS

The mean analgesic intake per week declined from 4.34 +/- 0.736 tab/week to 1.07 +/- 0.592 tab/week in sertraline group (p < 0.01) while reduction in placebo group was not significant (3.98 +/- 0.729 tab/week to 2.94 +/- 0.665 tab/week) (p > 0.05). The reduction in headache index and percentage reduction in frequency of headache was not significant in drug treatment group. Side effects were seen in 24.4% of patients nausea, nervousness and dizziness being the commonest.

CONCLUSION

The drug treatment group showed a significant decline in analgesic intake per week. The study result shows that sertraline can be a useful alternative to amitryptiline in those patients who fail to respond or cannot tolerate it.

Induction and transmission of cytogenetic toxic effects of 5-fluorouracil in male germline cells of Swiss mice

Cytogenetic toxicity after a single intraperitoneal exposure of three different doses (5,10 and 15 mg/kg) of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and its transmission in the male germline cells of Swiss mice was assessed. At 24 hrs post-treatment each of the doses of 5-FU induced statistically highly significant number of chromosomal aberrations, mostly random chromatid breaks, in the spermatogonial cells with maximum aberrations in the lowest dose. Primary spermatocytic chromosome analysis at week 4 post-treatment showed the presence of a statistically significant number of aberrant spermatocytes with atypical bivalents, mostly with autosomal and/or XY univalents. Sperm morphology assay at week 8 post-treatment exhibited higher percentages of abnormal sperm, but were not statistically significant. This indicated the gradual decline in the transmission of the induced cytogenetic toxic effects of 5-FU from spermatogonia to sperm, which might be because of gradual elimination of the grossly affected spermatogonial cells during the course of spermatogenesis.

Mapping the one-dimensional electronic States of nanotube peapod structures

Arrays of C60 molecules nested inside single-walled nanotubes represent a class of nanoscale materials having tunable properties. We report electronic measurements of this system made with a scanning tunneling microscope and demonstrate that the encapsulated C60 molecules modify the local electronic structure of the nanotube. Our measurements and calculations also show that a periodic array of C60 molecules gives rise to a hybrid electronic band, which derives its character from both the nanotube states and the C60 molecular orbitals.

Case report. Orbital metastasis from gall bladder carcinoma

Clinical presentation of an extraabdominal metastasis from carcinoma of the gall bladder is rare. Orbital metastasis from gall bladder carcinoma has not been previously reported. We report a case of a 40-year-old woman who developed orbital metastasis from carcinoma of the gall bladder.

An integrated computational pipeline and database to support whole-genome sequence annotation

We describe here our experience in annotating the Drosophila melanogaster genome sequence, in the course of which we developed several new open-source software tools and a database schema to support large-scale genome annotation. We have developed these into an integrated and reusable software system for whole-genome annotation. The key contributions to overall annotation quality are the marshalling of high-quality sequences for alignments and the design of a system with an adaptable and expandable flexible architecture.

Apollo: a sequence annotation editor

The well-established inaccuracy of purely computational methods for annotating genome sequences necessitates an interactive tool to allow biological experts to refine these approximations by viewing and independently evaluating the data supporting each annotation. Apollo was developed to meet this need, enabling curators to inspect genome annotations closely and edit them. FlyBase biologists successfully used Apollo to annotate the Drosophila melanogaster genome and it is increasingly being used as a starting point for the development of customized annotation editing tools for other genome projects.

Single small enhancing computed tomographic (CT) lesions in Indian patients with new-onset seizures. A prospective follow-up in 75 patients

This study was planned to observe the clinical and radiological course of single small enhancing CT lesions in Indian patients presenting with new-onset-seizures. In this study, 75 patients with new-onset seizures and a single enhancing CT lesion were prospectively followed up for 1 year. All patients fulfilled the criteria of cysticercus granuloma. The repeat CT scans were performed 2 months after the first CT scan. Antiepileptic drug therapy was the only form of treatment given. The majority of patients were below 20 years of age. Simple partial seizure, with or without secondary generalization, was the commonest type of seizure encountered in these patients. In follow-up CT scans 84% of patients showed either disappearance or regression in the size of lesion. The proportion of patients showing complete disappearance of CT lesions was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.61-0.80). In 11 (15%) patients the lesions were calcified. In nine patients, in whom the lesion had persisted or regressed, another follow-up CT scan (6 months after the second scan) revealed either complete disappearance or calcification of the lesions. The majority (86.6%) of patients remained seizure free for 1 year after starting antiepileptic drugs. Ten patients experienced seizure recurrences within the first month of therapy. The proportion of patients who remained seizure free was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.76-0.92). Four patients experienced seizure recurrence even after complete disappearance of CT lesions. In the majority of patients the lesions disappeared spontaneously and in a few the lesions calcified; hence these patients did not require anticysticercal therapy. Antiepileptic therapy was helpful in controlling further recurrences of seizures in most of the patients. A few patients experienced seizures even after disappearance of CT lesions.

Recognizing phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate

Phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate directs the endosomal localization of regulatory proteins by binding to FYVE and PX domains. New structures of these domains complexed with the phosphoinositide headgroup show how interactions with phosphate and hydroxyl groups differentiate this lipid from all others.

Kinetics and pH dependence of light-induced deprotonation of the Schiff base of rhodopsin: possible coupling to proton uptake and formation of the active form of Meta II

In this paper we first review what is known about the kinetics of Meta II formation, the role and stoichiometry of protons in Meta II formation, the kinetics of the light-induced changes of proton concentration, and the site of proton uptake. We then go on to compare the processes that lead to the deprotonation of the Schiff base in bacteriorhodopsin with rhodopsin. We point out that the similarity of the signs of the light-induced electrical signals from the two kinds of oriented pigment molecules could be explained by bacteriorhodopsin releasing a proton from its extracellular side while rhodopsin taking up a proton on its cytoplasmic side. We then examined the pH dependence of both the absorption spectrum of the unphotolyzed state and the amplitude and kinetics of Meta II formation in bovine rhodopsin. We also measured the effect of deuteration and azide on Meta II formation. We concluded that the pKa of the counter-ion to the Schiff base of bovine rhodopsin and of a surface residue that takes up a proton upon photolysis are both less than 4 in the unphotolyzed state. The data on pH dependence of Meta II formation indicated that the mechanisms involved are more complicated than just two sequential, isospectral forms of Meta II in the bleaching sequence. Finally we examined the evidence that, like in bacteriorhodopsin, the protonation of the Schiff bases's counter-ion (Glu113) is coupled to the changing of the pKa of a protonatable surface group, called Z for rhodopsin and tentatively assigned to Glu134. We conclude that there probably is such a coupling, leading to the formation of the active form of Meta II.

Familial intrahepatic cholestasis 1: studies of localization and function

Mutations in the FIC1 gene constitute the molecular defect in familial intrahepatic cholestasis I (Fic1 [Byler's disease]) and benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis. This report describes the localization of Fic1 in rat liver and intestine, as well as biochemical and transfection studies that support its function as an energy-dependent aminophospholipid translocase. Immunocytochemistry of rat liver and immunoblotting of membrane fractions localized Fic1 to the canalicular, but not basolateral, plasma membrane domain. In the small intestine, Fic1 was localized to the apical membrane of epithelial cells. The distribution of Fic1 in liver plasma membrane fractions from control and taurocholate-treated rats correlated positively with adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent aminophospholipid (phosphatidyl-serine) translocase activity. In canalicular membrane vesicles, translocase activity had an initial velocity of 3.3 nmol phosphatidylserine (PS) translocated per milligram of protein per minute and a K(m) (ATP) = 1.2 mmol/L; was inhibited by vanadate, N-ethylmaleimide, sodium azide, and calcium; and was unidirectional (i.e., from the outer to the inner canalicular plasma membrane leaflet). Transient transfection of CHOK1 cells with FIC1 cDNA resulted in appearance of FIC1 in membrane preparations and energy-dependent PS translocation in cells. These studies indicate that FIC1 is a canalicular P-type ATPase that participates in maintaining the distribution of aminophospholipids between the inner and outer leaflets of the plasma membrane. How this process produces cholestasis is under study.

Mitogenic signaling by cyclic adenosine monophosphate in chromaffin cells involves phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activation

Increase of intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate by the permeant cyclic adenosine monophosphate analog, 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-adenosine 3':5'- cyclic monophosphate, is mitogenic for normal adult rat chromaffin cells. The mitogenic effect is blocked by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor, LY294002, and is associated with accumulation of phosphorylated Akt and p70S6 kinase, suggesting that cyclic adenosine monophosphate activates Type l phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. The mechanism of activation was examined in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells, which are neoplastic chromaffin cells that exhibit many of the biochemical characteristics of their normal counterparts. Incubation of PC12 cells with 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-adenosine 3':5'- cyclic monophosphate led to a significant increase in total phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity that was sensitive to low concentrations of LY294002. The increase was maximal at 1 h and returned to basal levels within six hours. Immunoprecipitation studies showed no increase in phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity in anti-phosphotyrosine immune complexes from PC12 cells stimulated by 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-adenosine 3':5'- cyclic monophosphate, in contrast to cells stimulated by nerve growth factor. Instead, activity was demonstrated in association with p110gamma and p85. These findings suggest that cyclic adenosine monophosphate causes activation of Types IA and IB phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase by a novel mechanism in chromaffin and pheochromocytoma cells. That activation may contribute to chromaffin cell proliferation and to the development and progression of pheochromocytomas. J. Cell. Biochem. Suppl. 36: 89-98, 2001.

Cytogenetic toxicity of vincristine

The anticancer drugs vincristine sulphate (VCR) and cyclophosphamide (CTX) were tested for their cytogenetic effects in the bone marrow cells of Swiss mice. The end points investigated were chromosomal aberrations and mitotic index at 24 hours posttreatment and micronuclei (MN) at 30 hours posttreatment in bone marrow cells of male and female mice after a single intraperitoneal exposure. The doses tested were VCR 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg and CTX 40 mg/kg b.w. of mice. Significant percentages of chromosomal aberrations and significant numbers of micronuclei per thousand polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs) that were induced were recorded from bone marrow of each of the VCR-treated groups of mice. There were no significant differences between the percentages of dividing cells in the VCR-treated group and the vehicle control groups of mice. Peculiarly, in the chromosomal aberration study, the male mice were found to be more responsive to VCR than the females, and the aberrations per hundred metaphases were found to be decreased when the dose of VCR was increased. The percentage of dividing cells was also higher with the lowest dose of VCR tested. However, there was a dose-dependent, but nonlinear, increase in MN per thousand PCEs. The results were compared with the already available fragmentary and self-contradictory data on the genotoxicity of VCR in mice and in other mammalian test systems.

S-phase dependent cytogenetic toxicity of 5-fluorouracil in bone marrow cells of mice

The in vivo cytogenetic toxicity of three different doses (5,10 and 15 mg/kg) of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (in Fluracil) was assessed in bone marrow cells of mice. At 24 hrs post-treatment the induced chromosomal aberrations, mostly chromatid breaks and fragments, by all the three different concentrations of 5-FU were found statistically significant. However, mitotic index study at 24 hrs post-treatment indicated it as nonmitotoxic. At 30 hrs posttreatment, all the three doses of 5-FU induced a statistically significant number of micronuclei per thousand polychromatic erythrocytes. This indicated 5-FU as nonmitotoxic but highly clastogenic in bone marrow cells of mice.

Dynamin inhibits phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in hematopoietic cells

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) plays a role in late stages of endocytosis as well as in cellular proliferation and transformation. The SH3 domain of its regulatory p85 subunit stimulates the GTPase activity of dynamin in vitro. Dynamin is a GTPase enzyme required for endocytosis of activated growth factor receptors. An interaction between these proteins has not been demonstrated in vivo. Here, we report that dynamin associates with PI 3-kinase in hematopoietic cells. We detected both p85 and PI 3-kinase activity in dynamin immune complexes from IL-3-dependent BaF3 cells. However, this association was significantly reduced in BaF3 cells transformed with the BCR/abl oncogene. After transformation only a 4-fold increase in PI 3-kinase activity was detected in dynamin immune complexes, whereas grb2 associated activity was elevated 20-fold. Furthermore, dynamin inhibited the activity of both purified recombinant and immunoprecipitated PI 3-kinase. In BaF3 cells expressing a temperature-sensitive mutant of BCR/abl, a significant decrease in p85 and dynamin association was observed 4 h after the induction of BCR/abl activity. In contrast, in IL-3-stimulated parental BaF3 cells, this association was increased. Our results demonstrate an in vivo association of PI 3-kinase with dynamin and this interaction regulates the activity of PI 3-kinase.

Characterization and expression of the Douglas-fir luminal binding protein (PmBiP)

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) molecular chaperone, BiP, plays a role in the cotranslational translocation and subsequent folding and assembly of newly synthesized proteins targeted to the ER and secretory pathway. The sequence encoding a Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb] Franco) BiP homologue (PmBiP) was identified by differential screening of a seedling cDNA library. Southern blotting indicated that PmBiP is most likely present as a single copy. The deduced amino acid sequence of PmBiP contains an HEEL tetrapeptide sequence which functions to retain PmBiP in the ER and is different from HDEL commonly found in angiosperm plant BiPs. Amino acid sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis show that PmBiP is highly similar to other plant BiPs yet forms a distinct phylogenetic subgroup which is separate from the angiosperm BiPs. Northern and western blotting revealed that PmBiP is subject to developmental regulation during seed development, germination, and early seedling growth and is seasonally regulated in needles of young seedlings.

Pathological laughter as heralding manifestation of left middle cerebral artery territory infarct: case report and review of literature

Clinical, radiological and pathological studies in patients with stroke, presenting with pathological laughter as heralding manifestation, have shown lesions in the internal capsule and thalamus, basal ganglion, hypothalamus and ventral pons. In this report a patient with similar manifestation and having a cortical infarct in the territory supplied by superior division of middle cerebral artery is being presented. Our case suggests possible influence of dominant cerebral hemisphere, especially of Broca's area, on the motor control of laughter.

Profile of anemia in children after liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

Clinical and hematological profile of chronic anemia in children after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is unknown.

METHODS

We prospectively studied children after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) with hemoglobin levels < 2 standard deviation of age appropriate mean for > 6 months. Investigations included hemogram, reticulocyte count, peripheral blood smear, serum vitamin B-12, folic acid levels, iron studies, Coomb's tests, serum erythropoietin (EPO) levels, and stool and urine tests for occult blood.

RESULTS

Fifty-six participants (22 male and 34 female, mean age 82.9 months, range 20-232, mean post-OLT duration 48.8 months, range 6-132) were studied. The causes of anemia were idiopathic (32), iron deficiency (4), viral infections (2, HIV=1, parvovirus=1), and lymphoproliferative disease (2). Fifteen participants showed spontaneous recovery within 1-6 months. Thirty-one children with idiopathic anemia had low or normal EPO levels (mean 7.33 mmicro/L, range <2.5 to 15.9, normal 4-24). When outliers (iron deficiency=4, HIV disease= 1) were excluded, there was no statistical correlation between hematocrits and EPO levels. Serum vitamin B-12 levels (n=52) were elevated (normal 110-930 pg/ml) (mean=1,186 pg/ml) in 32 (61.5%) and were significantly higher in those with abnormal liver function tests.

CONCLUSION

Anemia is a common problem in children after OLT. More than half the participants had anemia of unknown etiology with an inappropriate EPO response for the degree of anemia. The normal negative correlation between hematocrit and EPO was lost in these children. The observation regarding serum vitamin B-12 levels requires further study.

Transgenic plants expressing cationic peptide chimeras exhibit broad-spectrum resistance to phytopathogens

Here we describe a strategy for engineering transgenic plants with broad-spectrum resistance to bacterial and fungal phytopathogens. We expressed a synthetic gene encoding a N terminus-modified, cecropin-melittin cationic peptide chimera (MsrA1), with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. The synthetic gene was introduced into two potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars, Desiree and Russet Burbank, stable incorporation was confirmed by PCR and DNA sequencing, and expression confirmed by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and recovery of the biologically active peptide. The morphology and yield of transgenic Desiree plants and tubers was unaffected. Highly stringent challenges with bacterial or fungal phytopathogens demonstrated powerful resistance. Tubers retained their resistance to infectious challenge for more than a year, and did not appear to be harmful when fed to mice. Expression of msrA1 in the cultivar Russet Burbank caused a striking lesion-mimic phenotype during leaf and tuber development, indicating its utility may be cultivar specific. Given the ubiquity of antimicrobial cationic peptides as well as their inherent capacity for recombinant and combinatorial variants, this approach may potentially be used to engineer a range of disease-resistant plants.