[Various psychosocial and epidemiologic characteristics of leprosy in the Artemisa municipality]

Psychosocial and hygienico-epidemiologic characteristics of prevalence of leprosy in Artemisa Municipality, Havana Province, were studied and compared with a control group. In relation to psychical stability, they are normal individuals. The general personal profile shows a personality structure disposed to neuroticism. The hygienic conditions are good. The majority of patients does not feel marginated and they have been incorporated to social and labor life. There are not mutilating incapacities in these patients. All needed of rehabilitation have it. The patients, in this municipality, know the main aspects of the disease.

Genotoxic potential of crown ethers in Salmonella typhimurium

Macrocyclic polyethers (crown ethers) are a family of compounds which possess the ability to transport ionic species across natural and artificial membranes. Because of this characteristic, they have wide applications in industry and are being investigated for their potential as pharmacologic agents. However, these compounds are highly cytotoxic in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Because of the cytotoxicity of crown ethers, an investigation of the potential genotoxicity of these compounds in Salmonella typhimurium was initiated. Several unsubstituted and substituted crown ethers did not induce a genotoxic response in S. typhimurium strains TA100, TA1530, TA98 and TA1537 either with or without rat liver S9 mixture. The data support the conclusion that the toxicity of these compounds is probably not due to an interaction with nucleic acid to induce premutagenic lesions and they do not appear to be genotoxic in prokaryotes.

Idiopathic myelofibrosis terminating in erythroleukemia

A 55-year-old woman with a one-year history of idiopathic myelofibrosis progressed to erythroleukemia. This is the first reported occurrence of erythroleukemia progression from idiopathic myelofibrosis. Certain patterns of leukemia transformation from myeloproliferative disorders are favored: Myeloblastic or myelomonocytic. The rare incidence of erythroblastic transformation is discussed.

Sodium azide mutagenesis in mammals: inability of mammalian cells to convert azide to a mutagenic intermediate

Sodium azide is unique among mutagens. It is highly mutagenic in many plant and bacterial species but marginally mutagenic in mammalian cells. A possible explanation for this difference in mutagenic efficiency may lie in the inability of mammalian cells to convert azide to the putative ultimate mutagen. Normal human fibroblasts and Chinese hamster cells or cell-free extracts from these cell lines were treated with azide and the sonicates tested for mutagenicity in Salmonella strain TA1530. The data suggest that neither cell line was capable of converting azide to a mutagenic intermediate. In addition, both cell lines expressed the enzyme O-acetylserine(thio)-lyase which is responsible for the conversion of azide to azidoalanine, the putative mutagenic intermediate. Although mammalian cells possess the enzyme responsible for the conversion of azide to azidoalanine, they appear incapable of converting azide into a mutagenic intermediate in appreciable quantities. Further, the data support the conclusion that azide may be further modified in mammalian cells to an intermediate that is not genotoxic.

Treatment of hypertensive crisis in children with nifedipine

We report 31 episodes of hypertensive crises in children, managed with sublingual nifedipine at the following dosages: 10 mg in children with body weight (BW) higher than 20 kg, 5 mg in children with BW between 10 and 20 kg, and 2.5 mg in children with BW below 10 kg. The mean initial blood pressures were 161.41 mm Hg for the systolic pressure (mSBP) and 111.25 mm Hg for the diastolic pressure (mDBP). After nifedipine, both the mSBP and the mDBP decreased, with onset of effect five minutes after dosage and maximum decrease at 60 min (mSBP 134.93 mm Hg, mDBP 79.23 mm Hg, for decreases of 16.4 and 28.7%, respectively), and this effect persisted for 180 min. Blood pressure increased again from min 240 to min 360, yet without reaching the initial levels. One case did not respond to the first dose of nifedipine and required a second one. The effect of nifedipine was more pronounced on the DBP than on the SBP, and greater reductions of both pressures were achieved in the cases with higher initial readings. No side of medication were observed in our patients.

Radioautographic method for quantifying regional monoamine innervations in the rat brain. Application to the cerebral cortex

Conditions leading to selective and complete labeling of the noradrenaline (NA) and serotonin (5-HT) innervations in rat cerebral cortex were sought by incubating 200-micron-thick whole hemisphere slices with various combinations of tritiated monoamines and uptake blockers at different concentrations in the presence of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. After fixation with glutaraldehyde, post-fixation with osmium tetroxide and flat-embedding in Epon, 4-micron-thick sections of the entire slices were radioautographed by dipping in nuclear emulsion. As previously reported, dopamine (DA) terminals could be specifically visualized and counted following incubation with 1 micron [3H]DA and 5 microM desipramine (DMI) with or without 5 microM citalopram (CITAL). The number of NA terminals could thus be obtained by subtracting DA varicosities from the total number of sites labeled in adjacent slices incubated without DMI but in presence of CITAL to eliminate some interspecific labeling of 5-HT terminals. NA terminals could also be identified exclusively and counted after labeling with 1 microM [3H]NA in the presence of 10 microM benztropine. 5-HT terminals were specifically detected after incubation with 1 microM [3H]5-HT in the presence of 10 microM non-radioactive NA. The labeled varicosities were counted in areas FR1 and PAR1 of the frontal and the parietal neocortex, respectively, with the aid of a microcomputer-based image analysis system. DA varicosities were concentrated mainly in layer VI of these regions and were more numerous in the frontal than the parietal area. NA terminals were equally distributed in the two regions but approximately twice as numerous in layer I than subjacent layers. The 5-HT innervation also showed a comparable overall density in the two cortical regions but with a differing intracortical distribution. In the frontal area, 5-HT terminals were slightly more concentrated in layer I (1.3-fold) than underlying layers where they were rather uniformly distributed. In the parietal area, layer I was again the most densely innervated (1.8 times the average), but a second zone of higher density (1.5 times average) was present in the outer part of layer V. The remaining layers showed lower numbers of 5-HT terminals than in the frontal region. To obtain absolute estimates of these innervation densities, the number of detected varicosities was assessed experimentally as a function of radioautographic exposure time and of histological section thickness, and their 'equivalent circle diameter' was measured in electron microscope radioautographs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Mitotic activity of the endothelial vascular cell in the immature retina

We studied the ultrastructural characteristics of the mitoses of the retinal vascular endothelium during normal vasculogenesis in the immature retina of 45 newborn albino rats, from birth to the end of the 1st month of postnatal development. For the first time mitotic phenomena in the endothelial cells to the adjacent endothelium during all mitosis stages. Direct budding from the pre-existing vessels seems to be the actual mechanism of growth of the retinal vessels in the holangiotic immature retina.

Slow infusion of vincristine in the treatment of refractory thrombocytopenic purpura

Eight patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), who were refractory to glucocorticoid therapy, were given slow infusions of vincristine (VCR) over a 4- to 6-hour period at weekly intervals for 4 weeks. Three patients showed a return to normal platelet counts maintained for 3 months or longer. A transient recovery was observed in 1 patient and a partial response was observed in 3 patients. All patients tolerated therapy well, without side effects. In conclusion, therapy with slow infusion of VCR can be effective in refractory ITP.

Perioperative cefamandole prophylaxis against infections

Seven hundred and seventeen patients were included in a prospective randomized double-blind trial comparing the efficacy of five doses of cefamandole (group I, 335 patients) with that of a single preoperative dose (group II, 382 patients) for prophylaxis against sepsis in patients who had an operation using either a Moore prosthesis, Ender or Küntscher nails, a bone plate, or another internal-fixation device. Patients who had an open fracture or total joint replacement were not included in the study. The two groups were similar in terms of mean age, sex ratio, duration of preoperative hospital stay, underlying risk factors, and type of surgical procedure. A wound infection developed in none of the seventy-four patients in group I and in five (6.6 per cent) of the seventy-six in group II (p = 0.03) who required a Moore prosthesis. A wound infection developed in three patients (1 per cent) in group I and in fifteen (5 per cent) in group II (p = 0.006) who required an internal fixation device other than a Moore prosthesis. Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and gram-negative bacilli were the most common infecting organisms. The rate of mortality was similar in both groups, while the percentage of postoperative urinary-tract infections was lower in group I (p = 0.04). No adverse side effects of the drug were encountered.

Quantification of the dopamine innervation in adult rat neostriatum

Conditions leading to specific and integral visualization of dopamine axon terminals (varicosities) were tested in adult rat cerebral hemisphere slices incubated with [3H]dopamine and processed for high resolution radioautography. Specific visualization of the dopamine endings was achieved after incubation with 10(-6) M [3H]dopamine in the presence of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (pargyline 10(-4) M), and of desipramine (5 X 10(-6) M), an inhibitor of catecholamine uptake by noradrenaline and serotonin neurons. [3H]Dopamine varicosity labeling was eliminated by the addition of 5 X 10(-5) M benztropine (an inhibitor of catecholamine uptake by catecholamine neurons), and was almost absent when dopamine nerve cell bodies of the midbrain had been previously destroyed with 6-hydroxydopamine. In dopamine-denervated neostriatum incubated without desipramine, a second set of labeled terminals was also visible. These were identified as serotoninergic, since their labeling was suppressed by citalopram, an inhibitor of monoamine uptake highly specific for serotonin neurons. There was no desipramine-sensitive but citalopram-resistant varicosity labeling suggestive of neostriatal noradrenaline innervation. In normal striatum, incubation at 35 degrees C always resulted in a labeling of dopamine varicosities restricted to a narrow band which followed the contours and cut surface of this anatomical region. This unusual distribution was the result of an uptake barrier generated by the tightly packed dopamine varicosities. Indeed, the striatal dopamine varicosity labeling was more widespread after partial 6-hydroxydopamine denervation or in normal tissue incubated either with a higher [3H]dopamine concentration (5 X 10(-6) M), in the presence of relatively low benztropine concentrations (10(-5) M), or at lower temperature (15 degrees C). Material incubated at 15 degrees C for 90 min was suitable for purposes of quantification: labeled varicosities were then visualized throughout the striatum and across the full thickness of the slices; moreover, the number of labeled varicosities plotted against radioautographic exposure time increased in parallel and reached a plateau at the same time in neostriatal sectors with widely different innervation densities. At a rostral transverse level across neostriatum, the dorsolateral quadrant showed hyperdense "patches" of labeled terminals distinguishable from an already dense surrounding "matrix", whereas, ventromedially, the dopamine innervation appeared more uniform and somewhat less dense.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Dopaminergic projection from nucleus raphe dorsalis to neostriatum in the rat

The existence of a dopamine (DA) projection from nucleus raphe dorsalis (RD) to neostriatum was demonstrated in the rat by combined tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry and radioautography after retrograde axonal transport of [3H]noradrenaline ([3H]NA). Intrastriatal injections of [3H]NA were carried out in normal rats or after ipsilateral destruction of the nigrostriatal DA system by injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the substantia nigra. Some 1,000 TH-positive nerve cell bodies were counted within the confines of RD as defined by its content in serotonin (5-HT) neurons. These DA neurons occupied the upper third of the RD and they were part of its small cell population. In all cases, a small proportion of the TH-immunoreactive nerve cell bodies in RD were retrogradely radiolabeled. Radiolabeled but immunonegative cells were exceedingly rare. The double-labeled neurons were generally more numerous after elimination of the nigrostriatal DA innervation than in normal rats. They mostly lay within the ventral portion of the medial subdivision of RD and always predominated on the [3H]NA- injected side. Some were also present in nucleus linearis caudalis. It was concluded that [3H]NA had been taken up and retrogradely transported exclusively by catecholamine neurons; part of the DA cell group in RD projects to the neostriatum; and that most if not all non-5-HT neurons projecting from RD to neostriatum are likely to be dopaminergic.

Depression in the young unemployed and those on Youth Opportunities Schemes

Using interviews and psychometric measures, this study compared the experiences and opinions of unemployment of four small groups of young people who were: unemployed, on a Youth Opportunities Placement Scheme, on a Youth Opportunities Project Scheme, or employed apprentices. It was found by means of the Beck Depression Inventory, that there were significant differences between the groups, with the employed being less depressed than the other three groups. The two groups on Youth Opportunities Schemes were intermediate but not significantly different from the unemployed. No significant differences were found using the Neuroticism scale of the EPI. This measure of depression, and the general attitudes expressed in discussion, support the conclusion that although the Youth Opportunities Scheme tends to reduce depression from being unemployed, it does not provide the psychological benefits of permanent employment, as suggested by previous research. This discrepancy in findings is discussed and the question raised as to whether the positive benefits of training programmes are sustained over time.

Separation of macromolecular RNAs by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

The reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of synthetic and natural RNAs was studied. The results show that base composition alone cannot explain the retention characteristics of natural RNAs; secondary structures are probably involved. However, under the conditions described, the separation was independent of the sizes of the molecules. 18S and 28S ribosomal RNAs were eluted after tRNAs but before 9S globin mRNA. Furthermore, globin mRNA was resolved into two species, one containing and the other lacking poly(A). When applied to the separation of HeLa cell poly(A)-containing RNA, an heterogeneous pattern was obtained. Analysis of peptides synthesized by the mRNA showed that the separation is independent of size.

Behaviour of macromolecular RNA in reversed-phase HPLC

Large RNA molecules are retained on reversed-phase columns and can be eluted by increasing the concentration of acetonitrile. The retention behaviour depends on the base composition but not on the length of the chain, thereby providing a means for the separation of RNA molecules with different base composition. However, isocratic elution is not feasible due to the sudden changes in retention characteristics which are observed with slight variations in acetonitrile concentration. In order to interpret these results, a model has been developed called 'multiple-point interaction theory', based on the assumption that macromolecules are flexible and very large as compared to the hydrophobic phase. This model fits the experimental data and could be applied to all types of flexible macromolecules, especially proteins and nucleic acids, when they are chromatographed on reversed-phase columns. In the case of RNA, it has been observed that the retention time depends on ionic strength, pH, and temperature as expected for a true partition between two phases. Furthermore, an artifact called the 'polypeak phenomenon' appears at high flow rates which decreases the resolution of RNA. This polypeak phenomenon is controlled by the slope of the gradient d phi/dV.

The serotonin neurons in nucleus raphe dorsalis of adult rat: a light and electron microscope radioautographic study

The serotoninergic nerve cell body population of nucleus raphe dorsalis (RD) was identified by radioautography following cerebroventricular instillation of tritiated serotonin ([3H]5-HT) in adult rats pretreated with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. Series of histological sections taken throughout the midbrain and upper pons exhibited a similar distribution and number of labeled nerve cell bodies in RD after prolonged administration of either 10-5 or 10-4M [3H]5-HT or 10-4M [3H]5-HT and 10-3M nonradioactive noradrenaline. This allowed systematic mapping and quantification of serotoninergic nerve cell bodies at various levels of the RD. Their extrapolated total number averaged 11,500. Twice as many unreactive (nonserotoninergic) neurons were present within the same region. In electron microscope radioautographs, the labeled cells were usually larger (17.9 micrometer mean diameter) than their unlabeled congeners (13.1 micrometer), but stereological sampling of their perikarial organelle content failed to reveal any difference in cytoplasmic composition. Few [3H]5-HT-labeled axonal varicosities were observed in RD and none were found in close apposition or in synaptic junction with labeled nerve cell bodies, dendrites, or unreactive perikarya. A detailed statistical analysis of silver grain distribution in both labeled and "unlabeled" nerve cell bodies, indicated that in the former, but not in the latter, dense bodies had a relatively high affinity for [3H]5-HT. Mitochondria and the cytoplasmic membrane were the only other organelles to show higher labeling indices in labeled than in unlabeled cells. Other sites of [3H]5-HT localization could be ascribed to artefactitious cross-linkage of the tracer by the fixative, since they had the same relative affinity in the two cell populations. These results provide new insights into the morphology and cytofunctional properties of the 5-HT neurons of rat RD.